Bailey Shoemaker became one of the most talked-about names this week, but not for the reason she would have wanted. The 21-year-old golfer from the University of Southern California went viral after a clip showed her taking one minute and 12 seconds to hit a single shot at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The video spread quickly online. In it, Bailey Shoemaker stands over the ball, starts her swing more than once, then stops and resets again and again. Many fans called it frustrating to watch. Soon after, the young golfer shared what was really going on behind that moment. She said it was not about delaying play, but about dealing with a serious arm injury that still affects her swing.
Bailey Shoemaker explains cubital tunnel syndrome injury after Augusta National Women’s Amateur slow play video goes viral
Bailey Shoemaker spoke to GOLF.com and explained that she has been dealing with cubital tunnel syndrome, a nerve problem near the elbow. She had surgery in October last year and is still working her way back.She said the injury has not just been physical, but mental too. Even when she stands ready to hit, her body reacts as if pain might come again.“I’ve been battling injury for over a year now, I’ve got some things bugging me,” she said. “When you have nerve surgery, you aren’t in control.”She made it clear that the long delay was not planned. “Do you think I want to do it intentionally? Of course not. It was better today, that was the worst one yesterday. Of course, it went viral.”Then she shared what people do not see behind the scenes. “You don’t see me at home working out five hours a day, going to rehab, waking up before practice to go to rehab. You don’t see all of that.”She also revealed how serious things once felt. “A year ago, I didn’t know if I would be playing golf anymore. This was a pretty substantial injury, given it was my nerve.”
Golf fans react strongly as Bailey Shoemaker slow play sparks debate during Augusta National Women’s Amateur
Even after her explanation, many golf fans did not agree with what happened on the course. Slow play has always been a sensitive topic in golf, and this moment added more fuel to that debate.One fan wrote, “Sounds like she’s not ready to compete without placing her competitors in a disadvantaged position vs the top players who can play faster.”Another said, “This is bizarre. The attempted rationalization makes no sense. Taking too long to hit a golf shot is a penalty. The reason as to why you take too long does not matter at all.”A different response tried to be understanding but still raised a concern. “Appreciate the situation. But she needs to work that out in practice, not competition.”The situation has now turned into a wider discussion about fairness, recovery, and whether injured players should compete while still struggling with their game.
