PGA Championship pace of play dispute angers Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley

PGA Championship pace of play dispute angers Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley

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After a slow first round at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia on Thursday, pace of play was a point of emphasis at the PGA Championship on Friday.

However, when an official approached Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley, they became animated.

Thomas, a longtime Team USA Ryder Cup member, and Bradley, last year’s United States captain, were on the fourth hole when they were approached by an official in a cart, and the conversation quickly turned into finger-pointing.

Thomas said after the round that he, Bradley and fellow USA Ryder Cupper Cameron Young, who won the Cadillac Championship earlier this month, were put on the clock, with the official telling them to pick up the pace. However, both Bradley and Thomas appeared to point at the group in front of them.

“We just didn’t really agree with it,” Thomas said, citing course conditions, high winds and tough pins. “We were behind. That wasn’t our issue… It’s just the fact that we weren’t holding up the group behind us.”

Thomas said they were caught up with the pace on the very next hole.

Justin Thomas playing a golf shot on the 15th tee.

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Thomas had a lengthy conversation with the official, while Bradley appeared to make his point short and sweet — though he was definitely not happy with the call.

It is a large PGA Championship field, with 156 golfers at the course and groups even starting their rounds on the back nine. The scores have also been rather high, with just 25 players below par at the time of publishing.

Aronimink also features a shared tee box on 1 and 10, holes 9 and 17 crossing paths, and a lengthy par-3 eighth hole that’s causing problems. Three par-3s are over 200 yards on the course, and there is also a 457-yard par 4 on the fourth.

Keegan Bradley preparing to putt on the 14th green at Aronimink Golf Club

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As Chris Gotterup put it on Friday, “You’re not going to get any four-and-a-half hour rounds out here.”

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