USGA’s Rule 6-7: The player must play “without undue delay and in accordance with pace-of-play guidelines.” A group is out of position when it completes play on a hole later than the maximum allowable time under those guidelines.
A player is permitted a maximum of 40 seconds to play a stroke, with the first player in the grouping allowed an extra 10 seconds. A player is given a warning for their first “bad time.” A second bad time automatically incurs a one-stroke penalty. A third bad time incurs an additional two-stroke penalty, and the penalty for a fourth bad time is disqualification.

Entering the Royal Portrush, Jon Rahm is hunting a third leg of the career Grand Slam to go with his 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters. Two years ago, he finished tied for second, his best finish at The Open. And currently, he has the momentum, having tied for seventh in the U.S. Open last month and a runner-up finish at LIV’s event in Andalucia, Spain, last week. So, the pressure? It’s there! And even though it wasn’t him directly getting the ‘bad time’ warning, his caddie Adam Hayes stood up for the group mate and reigning US Open champion, JJ Spaun.

Spaun was grouped with fellow major winners, Xander Schauffele and Rahm for the Open Championship’s opening round. However, the trio was not playing at the best of speeds. According to on-course reporter John Wood, “I’ve been with them for five holes, and I have not seen a group in front of them. They are definitely behind.” As a result, R&A rules official Charlie Maran put the entire group on the clock on 18th fairway after taking five and half hours. For Spaun, the first to tee amongst the three, the ruling was more unfortunate.

He took more than 50 seconds to get his approach shot at the 17th hole, getting a ‘bad time’ warning. But that bad time is carried to the next round. So, Spaun, who finished round 1 at T85 with 2 over par, might get a one-stroke penalty on day 2 if he incurs the same warning again. However, he had Hayes speak up, or more like, get in a heated discussion for him. According to Golf’s tweet, “Bones (Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay) said that Jon Rahm’s caddie, Adam Hayes, got into a tense discussion with the rules official after Spaun was given the bad time warning.”

Wood later updated the reporters what exactly had happened between Maran and Hayes. He said, “Hayes had a real problem with it. It was a heated discussion with the official over the bad time. He was sticking up for J.J.”

Charlie Maran, the R&A rules official, also gave his perspective on the ruling to NBC, saying, “J.J. would have had 50 seconds [instead of the usual 40] to play [his approach] into the [17th] green because he was the first person to play. The next players would have had 40 seconds each, and unfortunately J.J. ran over the 50 seconds.”

It is quite strange seeing a player’s caddie stand up for another player, especially when it comes to dealing with rules officials who try their best to dictate the game by the book. But Hayes is no stranger to on-court shenanigans. Plus, he probably did not want to ruin Rahm’s chances of getting the fourth major’s title after he finished Thursday with a 1-under 70. Isn’t that some caddie?! Jon Rahm knows, as Hayes had his back during the LIV Golf UK event in July 2024.

Adam Hayes lays into the crowd for Jon Rahm

On the second day of the proceedings, Rahm’s shot at the sixteen was in some thick cabbage at the JCB Golf & Country Club. As he got ready for the shot, a very over-eager fan yelled out, “You’re in the cabbage, Raaaahmbo!” Rahm stopped what he was doing and stared at the fan before getting himself ready again for the shot.

But Rahm’s caddie, Adam Hayes, did not let the comment slide. Hayes, who has been with Rahm ever since the Spaniard turned pro in 2016, let the fan know what was on his mind without needing any filter. “Yeah it’s gobbled up,” he said. “Yell louder when we’re in our f****** backswing, you d*******!” No mercy on display at all from the experienced looper.

However, a similar situation arose at Royal Portrush as well. When the Spaniard was playing the par-4 10th hole, he heard a whistle from the crowd during his backswing. As a result, his shot went into the right rough. All Rahm could say was, “Really? Whistling? Right, great time. Right on my backswing. Very smart, whoever it was.”

Although, Hayes didn’t say anything this time. But what do you think of the incident with JJ Spaun? Should Adam Hayes have intervened on behalf of Spaun?