As rounds stretched past five hours at Aronimink Golf Club, pace of play became one of the biggest talking points at the PGA Championship. That conversation intensified when Justin Thomas questioned officials after his group was put on the clock during the second round.

“We were, yeah [put on the clock]. We just didn't really agree with it. It's hard because it's kind of the whole time par thing. What is time par?" said Thomas.

"How can time par on this course be the same when it's blowing 25 and the pins are tough than if it's not? And does time par change every day? There's just so many factors that go into it,” added Justin Thomas on Friday at Aronimink Golf Club, shared via TenGolf on YouTube.

During the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, Justin Thomas was involved in a dispute with a rules official after his group was warned for slow play.

Thomas was grouped alongside Keegan Bradley and Cameron Young when an official approached them on the fourth hole and informed them that they had been placed on the clock.

“The hard part to me with the whole pace of play thing is that you, there's so much that goes into golf and there's so much that goes into hole to hole in terms of, are you hitting it close, are you able to tap it in, or you have to mark it, stuff like that, to where, are you holding the group up or are you not, to where it's very hard to make that call. And we just didn't agree with it, to be honest,” added the 33-year-old.

After the round, Thomas explained that changing wind conditions, difficult pin placements, and the pace across the course had affected multiple groups throughout the day. He also said his group was not holding up the players behind them, who were still waiting while they finished the hole.

Once a group is placed on the clock, players are given a limited amount of time for each shot, with penalties possible for repeated violations.

“But we got taken off, and a hole later we were caught up. So it kind of goes to our point of why we didn't think we should of, but it is what it is. It's a part of it,” said Thomas.

Justin Thomas says being on the clock did not change his approach

Justin Thomas also explained that the warning did not force him to speed up his routine during the round.

The two-time PGA Championship winner said he even stepped away from his first shot after the group was placed on the clock because he did not want to rush a decision under difficult playing conditions.

“No. I backed off on my first shot being on the clock even. It's just, it's so hard out here, and that's the last thing I'm going to do is make a mistake because I feel like I'm rushing,” said Thomas.

The American added that while he understood the importance of maintaining pace, he also did not believe players should feel pressured into hitting shots before they were ready.

Thomas noted that if his group had continued receiving bad times, he would have spoken further with officials to explain his position.

“But at the same time, I'm not going to -- you know, I'm not going to rush and hit a shot that isn't right. So just kind of went about my business and just was ready to play when it was my turn like I feel like I do normally,” he added.

Do you think Justin Thomas was right to question the pace-of-play warning at the PGA Championship?

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sahil Prashar