Goosen- Harrington 'slowest on tour' BreakingNews.ie_11290

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Retief Goosen today called Padraig Harrington, his rival for the European Order of Merit title, “definitely the slowest player on tour”.
The South African is less than ￡30,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login,000 ahead of Harrington entering the last three events, but the importance of being in front takes on a different meaning in the Telefonica Madrid Open starting tomorrow.
Goosen tees off at 1.20pm with Lee Westwood and Soren Hansen, while Harrington starts 10 minutes later with Seve Ballesteros and Andrew Coltart.
“Luckily he is playing just behind me so I can finish,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login,” said defending champion Goosen. “He is on the limit every time. If you are allowed 40 seconds he will take 39.
“He is not getting fined, so he is fast enough. But he is definitely the slowest player on tour.
“In general most of the players have learnt to play quicker, but I think something’s got to be done about the situation.
“I don’t have a problem with slow play. As long as he’s behind me that’s fine.
“I don’t get really angry,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, but I like to get into some sort of rhythm. I think that’s why I struggled at the Dunhill links tournament a few weeks ago.
“One round took six hours 15 minutes and five hours 50 was the quickest. I can’t understand why a normal fourball with amateurs takes four to 4 1/2 hours and we take six even when the two amateurs can pick up on virtually every hole.
“We were hitting a shot and then waiting 20 minutes. At one point we played four holes in two hours. I get stiff very quickly and it did me no good.”
Harrington, clearly not to the surprise of Goosen, won the ￡511,000 first prize that week to set up the closely-fought finish to the money list race.
The Dubliner has an advantage in that he has entered next week’s Italian Open while Goosen is in America at their Tour Championship.
And while Goosen is happy to be back at the Club de Campo course where he won both the Madrid Open and the Order of Merit a year ago, it is also the scene of two of Harrington’s five tour wins.
The Ryder Cup star is not among the nine European tour players who have been fined so far this season – but is one bad time away from having to pay ￡500.
David Garland, Director of Tour Operations, said: “Padraig is certainly somebody who knows how to react when he is put on the clock.
“When a group falls out of position they are timed. That has happened 15 times to Padraig this season and he has had only two bad times. A fine comes on the third.
“I would say he has improved and he is very much aware of his problem and has worked hard on it.”
Welshman Jamie Donaldson is the only man to have been docked a stroke for slow play this year – that came at the European Open – while Trevor Immelman has had the most fines (they total ￡3,500) and Scotland’s Raymond Russell has been put on the clock the most times (31).
“Obviously I know I can’t win the Order of Merit this week, but it would be nice to win and extend my lead,” added Goosen.
“What chance I have at the Volvo Masters depends on the next two weeks. Even if I am just a little bit behind going to Valderrama that’s fine – but I don’t want to be ￡150,000 (�237,768) behind.”
This Sunday’s first prize is �232,227 and next week in Rome it is �182,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login,465.
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Goosen: Harrington 'slowest on tour' You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login