Paige Spiranac never shies away from expressing her opinions on the important matters in the world of golf. Recently, she weighed in on the contentious issue of slow play, which has been plaguing the sport and frustrating players, fans, and reporters alike. Referencing the glacial pace of the final round at the Farmers Insurance Open, Spiranac acknowledged that professional golf is struggling to capture audiences and identified slow play as a major issue that needs to be addressed.
Spiranac suggested that the PGA Tour needs to pick up the pace, incorporate fresh talent into broadcasts, reduce commercials, and bring the best players in the world together on one tour to make the game more appealing to viewers. “No one is blind to the fact pro golf is currently struggling to capture audiences. They need to speed up the pace of play, get fresh talent incorporated into the broadcasts, introduce the audience to the rookies, lessen commercials, and most importantly have the best players in the world on one tour,” Spiranac emphasized.
Not only that, Spiranac has also expressed concerns about AimPoint, a green-reading technique, after seeing it used by major champion A Lim Kim. While initially calling for a ban, Spiranac clarified that she’s not against AimPoint itself, but rather its misuse, which slows down the game. This echoes Lucas Glover’s sentiments, but Collin Morikawa, an AimPoint user, countered that Glover’s long putter should also be banned.
But it seems Spiranac has found a player who embodies the spirit of speeding up the game — Billy Horschel. During the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, Horschel encountered an unexpected obstacle on the course – a 5 to 6-foot alligator casually strolling across the fairway near the eighth green. Without hesitation, Horschel jogged up to the reptile, wedge in hand, and calmly guided it back into the nearby pond. The crowd erupted in cheers as Horschel walked away from the pond, unfazed by the unexpected interruption.
And if that wasn’t impressive enough, he went on to sink an 11-foot putt on the eighth hole for a birdie. Spiranac was clearly impressed and commented, “The best part is the jog after to keep pace of play. Legend”, on X. Horschel’s relaxed attitude and quick thinking made for a truly unforgettable moment on the course, and it’s clear that Spiranac is a fan of his approach to the game. Who wouldn’t be, right?
The best part is the jog after to keep pace of play. Legend pic.twitter.com/Pg3sAgWRzU
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 27, 2025
Well, this wasn’t the first time a golf game was halted by a deadly creature, as it happened last year as well. And, well, Justin Rose’s reaction to it was definitely one for the books.
Justin Thomas’s ‘diabolical’ move on the deadly creature attack
During an interview with Dan Rapaport for Skratch’s “On the Bag” series, Rose was chatting alongside Rapaport when they stumbled upon a giant alligator resting on the grass. Rose, being the prankster that he is, couldn’t resist playing a joke on Rapaport. As they were discussing the alligator, Rose suddenly jerked his body, startling Rapaport and making him think he was about to trip into a pit of alligators.
The whole exchange was hilarious, with Rapaport still trying to recover from the scare, saying, “Did you realize how close I was to the edge?” Rose, still in prank mode, teased him again, saying “There’s one there,” making Rapaport quickly respond with “I’m not looking.” The Skratch team even posted the clip on their Instagram feed, captioning it “Diabolical move by @JustinPRose99.” Rapaport responded to the post, still a bit traumatized, saying he’d be showing the clip to his grandkids. Despite the laughter, Rose and Rapaport eventually made it to the course and checked their score – an impressive 164. Do you have any anecdotes of any alligator moments on the course? If yes, let us know in the comment section below!
The post Paige Spiranac’s Respect for PGA Tour Star Grows as He Stops ‘Slow Play’ the Most Unusual Way in Palm Beach Event appeared first on EssentiallySports.
