“This should be a 10 shot penalty. Maybe more” - Fans reacts to Scottie Schefflers slow play as he takes over 5 mins to hit a pitch shot

Scottie Scheffler stole the spotlight during the first round of the PGA Championship, which began on Thursday at the East Course of Oak Hill Country in Rochester, New York. And he did it not only for the tremendously high level of his game but also for a controversial play on the 12th hole.

On what was his third hole of the round, Scottie Scheffler took nearly five minutes to execute his second shot. Eventually, this was his third PAR on a very positive day for him.

The controversy comes because the play comes just a few hours after LIV star Brooks Koepka told the press that players who take more than the 40 seconds established by the rules should be penalized.

Here's what Koepka had to say about it:

“I would start stroking guys. If you are going to take that long, you have to get stroked. There’s a lot of guys out here that take their time. I think it is a problem. Technically in the rule book it says you have 40 seconds to hit your shot. I think that’s what it is. If you are taking over, technically you’re breaking the rules, right?”

The truth is that Scottie Scheffler's move did not go unnoticed by fans, who immediately began to react on social networks.

Here is a sample of what they said on Twitter:

"This should be a 10 shot penalty. Maybe more."

"$20 bets he's doing this intentionally to screw with brooks as he knows brooks on ice isn't the same player.. seriously though penalties need to be accessed for delays. Heck Rory's group hit into them on a green on hole 5"

"Ted Scott is so culpable in this too. It got worse once they started working together."

"Not defending him, but what was it like in front of them? I’ve often criticized players and then find out they are waiting ten minutes on every tee. It’s a cascade effect, but players often slow down when it happens. Some, like Brooks, have one pace."

"Cantlay's fault probably."

"If it was Cantlay the whole of golf Twitter would be on it."

"That’s just embarrassing. No excuse to take that long preparing for a shot. Don’t care what kind of tournament is being played."

"They’ve been allowed to get away with this on the PGA Tour. It’s embedded in their culture. Not great for fans and players. Officials sooner or later needs to start bringing the clock in."

---

How did the First Round go for Scottie Scheffler?

Scottie Scheffler closed the 2023 PGA Championship´s first round with a 3-under 67. He was leading the field and, with more than half of the field still to finish, was in T3.

It was a bogey-free day for Scottie Scheffler, who, however, could not save many strokes either, as he only managed three birdies.