"Fines are useless": Collin Morikawa calls on PGA Tour to take more drastic approach to slow-play issue

American golfer Collin Morikawa expressed his take on the debate about slow play, saying that more drastic measures must be put in place to deal with the issue. He said that the PGA Tour should publish the data on average stroke time among golf players.

Slow play in golf usually takes place when players take much longer time on the course to complete their shots and moves between holes, obstructing the flow of the game.

While facing the media on Tuesday, ahead of the Players Championship, Morikawa made it clear that fines are not the best way to deal with slow play, but it is about time the culprits are given actual penalties.

“I don’t know why you wouldn’t want it released, and I think after talking with some guys, I think you just have to start stroking guys and giving guys actual penalties, whether it be strokes or FedEx Cup. What I’ve learned is that monetary fines are useless,” he said.

“We make so much money and some guys, frankly, could care less about – I don’t know how much the fines are – whatever X amount they are. I think they care more about playing good golf and making sure they make the playoffs and making sure they make 70, 50, 30. That’s where it hits hard... I think the fans need to realise that slow play is not going to fix; if we pick up 10 minutes for pace of play this week, the fans won’t realise that at all – like zero. That’s not the issue with watching golf," he added.

Morikawa had a rough time at the just-ended Arnold Palmer Invitational but managed to finish in second place. He delivered a strong performance, leading the tournament after three rounds of 71, 68, and 67. However, he was one stroke behind the winner, Russell Henley, after the final round as he posted an even-par 72, resulting in a total score of 10-under-par.

Collin Morikawa will aim to clinch the ultimate at the Players Championship as it tees off later today.

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Collin Morikawa left disappointed after tight finish at Arnold Palmer Invitational

World No. 4 Collin Morikawa is not having it when it comes to how he marginally lost out on the Arnold Palmer Invitational trophy to Russell Henley. Even though he has been putting in the work for the past few months, he admitted that winning on the PGA Tour was always hard.

“I don’t look back and be like, ‘Man, I had a great week’ because I do care about the wins and I do care about finishing on top,” Morikawa said. “So there’s a little bit of yes, I feel great because I know I can keep putting myself in contention, and if I just keeping doing that, it’s going to happen. “But for me, it does suck because I do look back at the wins and I do care about winning,” he said. “So that’s where it kind of hurts,” he told the AP News.

Morikawa has six PGA wins, including the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship. He managed to amass five of those in two years, last at the 2023 Zozo Championship.

Morikawa will be in contention to add more to his trophy cabinet as the season progresses.