golf

You don't have to do too much searching to find something to complain about in the golf world. Oftentimes, that something doesn't deserve the amount of criticism it receives, but when pace of play is the topic of conversation, it's fair to throw shade more often than not.However, based on some of the reactions to a recent clip of Bailey Shoemaker's pre-shot routine during the Augusta National Women's Amateur, we're apparently supposed to search for excuses for excruciatingly slow pace.Shoemaker, a junior at USC and the 68th-ranked amateur in the world, finished runner-up in the 2024 ANWA and is making her fifth appearance in the event this week. She posted a 1-over 73 during Wednesday's opening round, and while there is nothing to complain about when it comes to her scorecard, that isn't the case when it comes to her pre-shot routine.A clip of Shoemaker standing over her golf ball for a full 74 seconds before finally making a swing made the rounds on social media, and it's a legitimately uncomfortable watch.As you would imagine, Shoemaker was immediately lit up for taking ages to pull the trigger. Slow play is a very real issue at every level of the game, and Shoemaker's case is no exception, but that didn't stop the excuses for her slow play from being issued. Brentley Romine of Golf Channel reported that Shoemaker had undergone major arm surgery in October 2025, and while she's back to full-strength physically, "she's still fighting a mental battle.""Just trying to reassure myself that there isn’t pain anymore," Shoemaker told Romine. "I’ve been struggling with it for the last four months, just being fully committed to hitting the ball."We can be sympathetic towards Shoemaker battling her way back after undergoing surgery, but we can also say that taking well over a full minute to hit a shot during the most prestigious women's amateur golf tournament on the planet is ludicrous.The viral clip of her pre-shot routine is from just one shot during the opening round. It's fair to assume she didn't take 70-plus seconds standing over every shot – her and her playing partners may still be trying to complete 18 holes – but golf fans and media alike can't have it both ways.If we're going to criticize Brian Harman's infinite waggles or Kevin Na's previous pace of play issues, we can't just not say something about one of the best amateurs in the world taking an eternity over the golf ball.