PGA Tour official causes controversy with his comments about Wesley Bryan as George asks ‘what the heck does that mean’

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Slow play has dominated the headlines during the first month of the PGA Tour season, and, at times, the product has been unwatchable.

During The American Express at the Pete Dye Stadium Course, Sunday’s final group took nearly three-and-a-half hours to complete 11 holes. What’s more, Sepp Straka’s three-ball were stranded on one hole for almost 30 minutes whilst waiting for the green to clear.

A similar scenario emerged at the Farmers Insurance Open. The final group on Saturday took three hours to complete nine holes. When this slow, the PGA Tour is unentertaining and, quite frankly, a stale product.

Officials are looking to combat slow play by reducing field sizes; however, the proposals have been widely criticised.

PGA Tour official sparks controversy

There was one player during the Farmers Insurance Open who demonstrated what the pace of play on the PGA Tour should look like.

YouTube star Wesley Bryan has the record for the fastest-ever PGA Tour round and doesn’t waste a second over his shot.

PGA Tour official Stephen Cox highlighted Bryan’s pace of play during a TV interview on CBS. Unfortunately, the Englishman’s choice of words was ill-thought-out.

“I was just looking at the stuff from Torrey, and it ranks them from slowest to the fastest, and it’s amazing how consistent it is. I will say this: I am not one for leaking information, and I hate to give the guy a shout-out, but Wesley Bryan,” said Cox.

“It just shows that you can play golf in a timely fashion. Of the 155 listed, he was the fastest player and going into the final round; he was right there contending. I don’t think we do a good enough job of celebrating this.”

Cox admitting he was reluctant to give Bryan a “shout out” has not gone down well.

Wesley and George Bryan react to PGA Tour comments

The Bryan Bros’ account on X responded to Cox’s comments and said: “Hate to give this guy a shout-out?!? What the heck does that mean?!”

Wesley also replied: “I think I’m supposed to say thank you.” Golf fans were also critical of Cox’s comments.

“Proof that the PGA has some sort of vendetta against @wesleybryangolf @bryanbrosgolf,” one fan wrote.

While another said, “That’s crazy.”

“Embarrassing. The tour cannot read a room to save their lives. It’s actually staggering,” this fan wrote.

“Crazy for a rules official to say that no matter who the player is,” another fan said.

The fan backlash did not stop there. “Uneducated ignorance given the current state of golf,” this X account wrote.

While finally, this fan said: “Why does he hate to give him a shout-out?”

• READ MORE: George Bryan reacts to frustrations that Wesley Bryan was barely shown during final round of the Farmers Insurance Open

PGA Tour look to combat slow play

Cox’s back-handed compliment comes in the wake of the news that the PGA Tour is actively attempting to stamp down on slow play.

Firstly, the PGA Tour has confirmed that it will test allowing players to use range-finding equipment. The PGA Championship permits players to calculate yardages with the help of technology, which can pick up the pace of play. Calculating numbers can be very time-consuming for caddies.

Secondly, the Tour is contemplating sharing each player’s average stroke time and announcing fines. Historically slow golfers will likely speed up if hard data emerges confirming they are the cause of the problem.

The news comes as a welcome relief—the days of watching a five-and-half-hour round of golf need to come to an end and fast.