As the tournament’s headline player, McIlroy’s group attracted huge galleries and several camera crews, which the Northern Irishman feels officials should take into account when it comes to pace to play.
“It’s hard because you feel a bit rushed, you’re playing some tough holes and our group has to deal with a lot more than any other group on the course,” added the Masters champion.
“So it’s understandable that we lose time and I feel like any time I either come back to Europe or I play in some of these like one, two, three in the world type groups, we’re always put on the clock for that reason.
“I got a little frustrated the last few holes because I feel like it always happens and I don’t think they use sort of common sense in terms of…well of course we’re going to lose ground because we’re going to have to wait on crowds and wait on the two camera crews that are out there.
“There’s just a lot more going on with our group than any of the other groups on the course, and sometimes I feel like they have to give us a little bit of leeway and use a bit of common sense.”
The pace of McIlroy’s group – which started on the 10th hole – was not helped by the struggles of Lawrence (81) and Reitan (77), who both hit their ball into the water on the seventh hole.
“In my mind I’m like ‘should I go first to save a bit of time’ but not really, you can still wait your turn.
“It wasn’t really that, I guess it was more I just felt because it’s happened to me quite a lot before in these sorts of big groups who want to come back to Europe and play, I felt like I just let it agitate me a little bit.”
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