Brooks Koepka warned us. Now the 2025 Open Championship has handed him all the proof he needed.
As Royal Portrush turned into a crawl-fest of six-hour rounds, backup tee boxes, and mounting frustration, Koepka’s infamous call to “start stroking guys” suddenly didn’t feel so over the top. It felt… inevitable.
The Open’s Brutal Backlog Exposes Golf’s Biggest Flaw
From the first tee shot on Thursday, The Open Championship at Portrush was running behind.
Afternoon groups managed just 11 holes in four hours. Jon Rahm’s group took five and a half hours to reach the 18th fairway. JJ Spaun got hit with a “bad time” warning. Ángel Hidalgo waited 45 minutes — on one hole.
The culprit? A toxic mix of crosswinds, thick rough, and a field full of indecision.
Marc Leishman, who’s used to LIV Golf’s shotgun sprints, didn’t sugarcoat it:
“It felt like we were on the golf course for about 12 hours.”
Rory, JT, and Fleetwood — marquee names, marquee group — needed nearly four hours to complete 11 holes. Viktor Hovland called it “brutal.”
Justin Thomas compared it to rush-hour traffic. And the fans? They weren’t having it. One summed it up best:
“I could’ve shot 120, had four drinks, and be home by now.”
Koepka’s Controversial Fix Is Starting to Make Sense
This wasn’t a new rant from Brooks Koepka. He’s been hammering slow play for years. But the 2025 Open lit a fresh match under his solution.
“I would start stroking guys. If you are going to take that long, you have to get stroked,” Koepka said back in 2023. And after what we just saw, it doesn’t sound all that crazy.
His point? The rules already say players have 40 seconds. Go over? That’s a stroke. Yet week after week, nothing happens.
“Technically you’re breaking the rules. I can’t remember the last time anybody was stroked.”
JJ Spaun became the exception — kind of. His warning came for taking 51 seconds to hit an approach on 17. A second one would’ve cost him a shot. And suddenly, the field started paying attention.
Even Jon Rahm’s caddie got into it, reportedly having a heated exchange with officials over the penalty system. Tensions were boiling. And Koepka? He’s sitting there somewhere thinking: Told you so.
“If you’re going to take that long, you have to get stroked.”
– Brooks Koepka, 2023 PGA Championship
Is It Time to Blow Up the System?
Keegan Bradley shrugged it off: “What do you do? You get to the tee and there’s a group there.” Fair point. But also… is that the best we can do?
Shot clocks have worked in the DP World Tour. LIV’s smaller fields and shotgun starts avoid this altogether. And fans are growing tired of excuses.
Koepka’s approach is harsh — and yes, the phrase is never not going to sound hilarious — but it’s also the only one that sends a message. If a warning doesn’t move the needle, a one-shot penalty sure will.
And after Portrush, he’s no longer a lone voice. Players are grumbling. Caddies are snapping. Fans are bailing.
Maybe “stroking guys” is exactly what golf needs.
A Turning Point… or Just Another Round Lost to Time?
Slow play isn’t new. But the 2025 Open Championship showed just how bad it can still get — even with global attention, elite fields, and a rulebook full of deadlines.
The next move? That’s on the governing bodies. But if they’re still on the fence, Koepka’s already got the slogan ready.
Let the stroking begin.