KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – John Catlin became the first player to be penalized a stroke for slow play in a major championship in nearly eight years on Thursday at the PGA Championship.
Catlin, who is playing this week’s championship on a special invitation, was given a slow play warning from the rules committee on the par-5 16th hole, which was his seventh hole of the day, when he took 74 seconds to hit his second shot.
PGA Championship: Scores | Full coverage
His second bad time came at No. 3, when he took 63 seconds to hit his second shot. Under the PGA of America’s pace-of-play policy, Catlin was given a one-stroke penalty, which turned his par on the hole into a bogey.
The last slow play penalty in a major was given to Hideki Matsuyama at the 2013 Open Championship.
Catlin, who has won three times on the European Tour in the last nine months, finished with a 3-over 75 and was tied for 108th when he completed his round.
