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Annika Sorenstam is a legend of the sport. With decades of experience under her belt, the Swede has a clear-cut idea of how the game should be played. Most recently, she joined the ongoing ‘slow pace’ conversation in the golf world and said that she ‘hates’ it.
Sorenstam didn’t hold back while slamming the golfers, slowing down the pace of the game. The 10-time major winner candidly said that she is a ‘believer in ready golf.’ Explaining her strong opinion on the matter, the LPGA star said that golfers get distracted if the pace of the game is slower than usual.
Speaking on the ‘slow pace’ conversation, Annika Sorenstam said, as quoted by Golf:
“Yeah, well, I hate slow play. I think I’m a believer in ready golf. I really am. There are things you can do to prepare while somebody else is playing and to be ready when it’s your turn. There are a lot of distractions out there with cell phones, people doing other stuff.”
The greatest women’s golfer went on to give some suggestions on how to improve the pace-of-play issue. Sorenstam added:
“I have a pre-shot routine, so I do my routine and it’s 24 seconds. If everybody had somewhat of a pre-shot routine, it should go pretty fast. Just be ready when it’s your turn, and hit when you’re ready. You know, pick up if you’re out of the hole. I think it’s more — people get mad if you’re putting for 8 or 9, so pick it up and move on.”
It is pertinent to note that Sorenstam's comments come amid raging debates on the pace of play kicked off by Patrick Cantlay. The American golfer was harshly criticized for his pace at the 2023 Masters. The golfer’s pace made other golfers, including event leaders Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, wait for their turns. This was largely criticized by fans and experts alike.
Patrick Cantlay hits back at slow pace critics
Just a week after the Masters, Patrick Cantlay faced more criticism for slowing down play at the RBC Heritage.
The World No. 4 faced heat after he reportedly got Jordan Spieth and Matt Fitzpatrick frustrated by slowing them down. Following this, Cantlay came out to address his perceived slow play issue.
The golfer said, as quoted by the Golf Channel:
"Just needed to make sure I was totally committed to what I decided to do there. I wasn't decided until the end, but ultimately I thought that if I would have dropped it, it would have meant double bogey more than likely, and I wanted to at least give myself a chance to stay in the golf tournament and try and get it up-and-down, which I did."
According to reports, both Spieth and Fitzpatrick were angry at Cantlay. It is pertinent to note that Masters runner-up Brooks Koepka had earlier slammed the World No.4 for slowing the tournament down.
