CBS analyst lambastes pros for this during Farmers final round

Everyone’s talking about it, but no one seems to be doing anything about it.

Dottie Pepper has had enough of it.

The issue, of course, is slow play on the PGA Tour and things are getting quite funereal this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Most people agree that a round of golf should be completed in four hours or less. If the final group of Saturday’s final round at Torrey Pines of Harris English, Andrew Novak and Aldrich Potgieter were to call it quits after four hours, they would have only completed 12 holes.

Now conditions are brutal at Torrey’s South Course Saturday, an already brawny 7,566-yard test that was playing in near 30 mph gusts. And of course, PGA Tour competition for $9.3 million means pros are going to take their time with every shot, but most would probably agree a pace of 5 hours and 45 minutes is outrageous.

And it’s a long time to ask someone to sit in front of their television and watch golf.

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On Saturday, Pepper, the longtime CBS on-course reporter and former LPGA winner, laid into the pace of play during the final round.

“You know, Frank, I think we’re starting to need a new word to talk about this pace of play issue, and it’s respect,” she said. “For your fellow competitors, for the fans, for broadcasts, for all of it. It’s just gotta get better.”

Pepper was addressing her colleague, CBS analyst and former PGA Tour pro Frank Nobilo, who responded simply: “Well said.”

Pace of play has been a hot-button issue all week after last week’s final round at the American Express went 30 minutes beyond the scheduled coverage window during Sepp Straka’s win. There’s also been added pressure given the popularity of the TGL’s shot clock.

Then on Monday, Justin Thomas penned a letter to his fellow members urging them to give more access and insight to PGA Tour broadcasts in an effort to keep the Tour’s dwindling viewership engaged.

When Thomas wanted players to give more access and insight, he probably didn’t mean for players to do it by giving viewers more of a broadcast.

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