Sky Sports commentator Jay Townsend has urged the PGA Tour to revise its pace-of-play regulations following a slow play incident involving Matt Fitzpatrick at The Memorial Tournament.
The English golfer spent considerable time lining up a birdie putt on the par-five 15th hole during the third round at Muirfield Village on Saturday.
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Call for Rule Adjustment
Townsend expressed frustration during the live broadcast, advocating for a restriction on players repeatedly adjusting their ball after placing it on the green.
“He’s certainly taking a lot of time,” Townsend said.
The commentator linked the incident to his earlier remarks, stating: “It comes back what I was saying yesterday.
You shouldn’t be able to mark it again (after replacing your ball on the green).”
Townsend compared the proposed change to existing procedures like lift, clean, and place, emphasizing that a ball should be considered in play once the golfer removes their hand.
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“When you put the ball down, take your hand off, it’s in play,” he said.
While acknowledging Fitzpatrick did not breach current rules, Townsend stressed that the pace remains a significant issue for the sport.
“This is just too slow. They’re playing within the rules, okay,” he said.
Townsend concluded by targeting the regular rule revision cycle, urging governing bodies to eliminate the re-marking allowance in future updates.
“Every four years they come out with updated rules and stuff, they need to take that away,” he said.
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Fitzpatrick entered the tournament with three PGA Tour victories in 2026 and a world ranking of fourth, but he struggled at Muirfield Village, sitting tied for 32nd at three-over par at the time of reporting.
