"I hate to be the one saying, 'It wasn't me,' but it wasn't me"

The golf media isn't usually interested in Brad Fritsch or his opinions, which is understandable because he's only played in eight PGA Tour events since turning pro in 2000. However, his name was mentioned a lot following the Farmers Insurance Open, and it wasn't because he notched his first career top 10 finish (T9).

Brad's name was circuiting around because Tiger Woods' blamed his group for the dreadfully slow pace of play Monday at Torrey Pines. His group, which included Erik Compton and Steve Marino, fell an entire hole off pace and was one of the reasons it took Tiger's group three hours and 45 minutes to play 11 holes.

Ahead of his fourth start of the season at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Brad was in demand and was asked about the dreadfully slow pace of play in the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

"Nobody ever even approached us," he said. "I tell you what, all we ever heard on the Web.com Tour was, 'We're doing this to you guys now, because it's worse out there in terms of them getting on you and staying on you.' We didn't see anybody all day."

Fritsch explained that a major part of the problem was the way the final round had continued, with a logjam of players already on the same holes.

"You know, there were two groups starting the day on No. 8, so right away you're waiting," he added. "When we walked up to the ninth tee, there was a group just walking off. So it was just a jam with how the round ended – two groups finished 7 and two groups finished 8 the night before, so that's going to happen at the start. But it was definitely us at the end."

While Brad acknowledged his group was partly to blame for the logjam, he was quick to shirk the blame in the direction of his playing partners.

"All I can say is if you watch me, the whole day I had my arms folded on the back of the green," he said. "There were definitely about three times where there were rulings and second opinions – especially on 17 and 18, that's where most of it happened. I hate to be the one saying, 'It wasn't me,' but it wasn't me.

"I try to ask as many people as possible, 'Is it me? Am I slow?' I try to pay attention to my routine and how fast or slow I go. I'm pretty sure if you just watch, it wasn't me."

It's probably not a big deal, however, I wonder if Brad broke an unwritten rule about publicly bashing his peers. He was just being honest with his comments, which is refreshing, but nobody wants to be labeled as a "slow" player and Brad essentially called Erik and Steve slow.

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[ comments ]

bducharm says:
Compton moves VERY slowly. As many of you know, he has had 2 heart transplants. He is an inspiration to have come back. However, if he cannot keep up, should he be given a cart???

1/30/13

DougE says:
Agree, Erik Compton is an inspiration to anyone who doubts themselves. However, fair is fair and rules are rules. If anyone, including Compton, can not keep up with the rest of the guys out there (through no fault of his own, but rather due to unfortunate health issues dealt to him by fate) they should not be out there competing at that level. The rules must be the same for everyone, health issue or not.

1/30/13

legitimatebeef says:
I don't know if its nice to assume that Compton is slow because of his condition. Because that would be ignoring the fact that he has made to the highest level of golf, on his own two feet, with no special exemptions or accommodations. Keeping up pace of play seems like just a minute task compared to all the truly hard things about making it to the tour. It seems to defy logic that Compton can successfully do everything else tour players do EXCEPT for keep up a reasonable pace of play. Yes his story is truly awe-inspiring but I don't know if ppl should presume his foibles are due to his condition. Pretty sure Compton himself would cringe at ppl presuming such things or holding him to a different standard of accountability. IMO slow play tends to happen not because ppl walk slow but more because they aren't efficient about their time in-between and immediately preceding their shots.

1/30/13

legitimatebeef says:
Fritsch is guilty of looking terrible out there however. Marino and Compton probably enabled each others' slow play, and when it became clear that there would be no warning or penalty they simply disappeared up their own respective butts. Everyone in the group was over par for the back nine. Clearly struggling, they just seemed to wallow in it. Marino in particular looks really out of shape, maybe he was all pooped out by Monday. I don't blame any of them though, it's the tour's fault for allowing such egregious slow play.

1/30/13

bducharm says:
@beef, I have watched Compton since he has come back and I was watching during this tournament. He moves VERY slowly. I agree that the Tour is to blame every bit!!!

1/30/13

SD Charlie says:
They are slow. Marino walks all over the damn green, eyeing his put from 40 different angles before even addressing the ball. I don't think the tour cares that much about pace of play. Longer rounds means more tv coverage and more ad revenue generated (especially when Tiger is in the mix).

1/30/13

aaronm04 says:
Make the slow players let others play through! Let a rules official do that rather than assess a penalty or warning. It communicates to the entire group that you're too slow and also calls it to the attention of the TV audience--golf seldom looks slow on TV. Let them sit for a few minutes while they see what faster players look like.

1/30/13