In an era where the issue of slow play is never far from the conversation it’s refreshing to note that there have been some extraordinarily fast rounds on the PGA Tour.
One of the most notable recent examples of a lightning-fast round, perhaps surprising given his reputation for taking his time on the course, came from Kevin Na. Six years before he became a LIV golfer, in 2016, Na positively zipped around East Lake during the Tour Championship in one hour and 59 minutes, completing an impressive round of 69 in the process.
Five years later, another player who would eventually sign for LIV Golf, Joaquin Niemann, beat Na’s effort by six minutes at the same course. He took advantage of Brooks Koepka’s withdrawal on the Saturday to play alone, enabling him to set a new 18-hole speed record for the Tour Championship of one hour and 53 minutes.
However, that is nothing on the achievement of Wesley Bryan in 2017, who holds the PGA Tour’s unofficial record for its fastest-ever round (official timings aren't kept).
Make no mistake, Bryan was a man in a hurry during the final round of that year’s BMW PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Like Niemann four years later, Bryan was able to take on the challenge thanks to a withdrawal, this time of Danny Lee, meaning he was playing alone in the final round and so could go at his own (extremely rapid) pace.
Blink and you might miss it.@wesleybryangolf's final round at the @BMWchamps was crazy fast. 🏃💨 pic.twitter.com/SqUBqChL8BSeptember 17, 2017
With no chance of qualifying for the Tour Championship, he set about his task, employing unconventional tactics including positively hurling clubs towards his caddie and using his wedge for putts to match anything of the trick shots he and his brother George are known for.
Incredibly, he carded a highly impressive round of 69, featuring 14 pars, three birdies and just one bogey in a barely believable one hour and 29 minutes before falling onto his back along with his beleaguered bagman.
Clocking in at less than five minutes a hole, ridiculously, Bryan had completed his round while the group behind him was still on the eighth!
