Graeme McDowell GRILLED by golf fans after "click bait" tweet at The Open
Graeme McDowell tweets that slow play could be solved at The Open if players had a "shotgun start" at St Andrews like they do in LIV Golf events.
Graeme McDowell was grilled by golf fans on Twitter during the third round of The Open at St Andrews following his tweet about slow play, which he later cleared up as just being "click bait".
McDowell, who resigned his PGA Tour card after joining LIV Golf earlier this season, tweeted that the slow play at the Home of Golf this week could have been cleared up with a shotgun start like they do on the controversial Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational Series.
For reference, LIV Golf tournaments feature 48 players all teeing off on different holes in a shotgun start over three rounds in a bid to help speed up pace of play.
Related: Golf fans claim pace of play is "absolute disgrace at The Open this week
Quality viewing @TheOpen. The unpredictability of The Old Course from bounces to weather is unlike anything in golf. Can’t turn it off. Thinking pace of play might have improved with a shotgun start? What you guys think?
— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) July 16, 2022
"Quality viewing The Open," tweeted McDowell, who won the US Open in 2010.
"The unpredictability of The Old Course from bounces to weather is unlike anything in golf. Can’t turn it off.
"Thinking pace of play might have improved with a shotgun start? What you guys think?"
McDowell's tweet caused plenty of controversy - we highly recommend you check out some of the replies in the tweet above - so an hour later he came back to tweet it was all a joke after receiving what he calls "idiotic comments" from a number of golf fans.
Love some of the idiotic comments below. Clearly some click bait here. There’s not a more pure form of our sport than @TheOpen. The Majors are sacred and their history and tradition should always be preserved. The other 48 weeks leave room for multiple platforms within the sport. https://t.co/epcFb2MtkM
— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) July 16, 2022
"Love some of the idiotic comments below," tweeted McDowell.
"Clearly some click bait here. There’s not a more pure form of our sport than The Open.
"The Majors are sacred and their history and tradition should always be preserved. The other 48 weeks leave room for multiple platforms within the sport."
Despite being a LIV Golf player, McDowell is still able to compete in the major championships as it stands, but he failed to qualify for The Open at St Andrews.
With OWGR points still not yet counting in LIV Golf events, and potentially never counting, McDowell runs the risk of failing to compete in future major championships as he now looks on from 384th.
McDowell's commitments to LIV Golf have likely also cost him any chance of one day becoming European Ryder Cup captain.
Next Page: Rory McIlroy on sharing the lead at The Open - "I'm not going to take anything for granted"
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