While We Were Sleeping Files: 76 World Class Players Took A Really Long Time To Play Golf Saturday

Reduced field sizes are always declared the only cure for PGA Tour slow play, which, according to Daniel Hicks of APF, hit a new low for Saturday's third round of the WGC-HSBC Champions when the 76-player field featuring a sizeable portion of the world top 100 golfers, took 5 1/2 hours to play.

There were complicating factors: high, wet rough, split tee threesomes and reachable fours and fives for everyone because the ball goes too far. Still, just 76 players. 76! And they aren't looking for lost balls.

The leader at the time, Graeme McDowell, called the situation "ridiculous."

"We've got threeballs, a lot of people out there and a couple of driveable par fours and a couple of two-shot par fives. Just a slow golf course. A long day," said McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion.

Ryder Cup star Poulter was less diplomatic in his assessment of the day after a level-par 72 left him four behind McDowell.

"There's no excuses. We need to be pressing and making sure people are keeping up to pace," Poulter told AFP.

"Five and a half hours is too long to play golf. End of story."

Bubba Watson suggested what he always does: penalizing players. Silly him!

"You have to penalise people," he told reporters after the first three rounds at the Phoenix Open earlier this year took well in excess of five hours.

"Give them a stroke (penalty). It could cause you to win or lose. I think strokes is the only way to do it."

Neither McDowell or Poulter took to Twitter to gripe, perhaps knowing they'd be fined for pointing out the obvious.