Justin Thomas Frustration at Aronimink Brings PGA Tour Slow Play Back Into Spotlight
Justin Thomas became the center of attention at Aronimink after eyewitnesses said he confronted a rules official during a tense slow play warning involving his group on Friday morning.
- Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley were put on the clock Friday
- Eyewitnesses described Thomas confronting a rules official at Aronimink
- Slow play delays again sparked criticism of PGA Tour enforcement r
Things got tense early Friday morning at Aronimink Golf Club after slow play started causing major delays across the course. According to eyewitness accounts shared online, Justin Thomas appeared frustrated while speaking to a rules official after his group got caught in a growing backup during the second round. Not long later, Thomas and Keegan Bradley were officially put on the clock. The situation quickly became one of the biggest talking points from the tournament as players struggled with difficult course conditions and an extremely slow pace.
Justin Thomas And Keegan Bradley Put On Clock After Slow Play Chaos At Aronimink
The trouble started with the group ahead led by Alex Smalley. According to reports tracking the round in real time, Smalley's group teed off at 8:51 a.m. but needed more than three and a half hours just to reach the 11th hole. Fans following the action online called the pace “brutal” long before officials stepped in.
Thomas, Bradley, and Cameron Young had teed off earlier at 8:29 a.m., but they soon got trapped behind the delay. An official later drove over to speak with the group, and eyewitnesses said Thomas looked visibly upset during the exchange. Soon after, PGA Tour officials announced that both Thomas and Bradley had been placed on the clock under Rule 5.6b.
The frustration did not come out of nowhere. Aronimink already played extremely well during the opening rounds. The Donald Ross-designed course stretched 7,394 yards as a par 70, while strong winds above 20 mph made scoring even tougher on Friday morning. The difficult setup may explain some delays, but it also pushed fresh attention back onto the PGA Tour's long-running slow play problem.
PGA Tour Slow Play Rules Return To Spotlight After Justin Thomas Incident
By Friday afternoon, the conversation had moved beyond just one heated moment involving Thomas. Golf fans and analysts once again started questioning whether the PGA Tour's pace-of-play system is actually strict enough when delays continue week after week without major punishments being handed out.
Under PGA Tour Rule 5.6b, players first receive a warning before individual timing begins. A second bad time can lead to a one-stroke penalty and a $50,000 fine, while repeated violations carry even bigger penalties. However, previous reports showed the PGA Tour went nearly three years without issuing a stroke penalty on the main circuit, despite constant complaints from players and viewers.
Thomas himself hinted after Thursday's round that the conditions had already drained him physically. He said, “If I had any energy left, I would go to the range and hit some, but I'm absolutely not doing that.” No further punishment was confirmed for Thomas or Bradley after Friday's warning, but the incident again showed how quickly frustration can build when slow play starts affecting the entire field.