In the high-stakes world of professional golf, every second counts—and for Italian pro Gregorio de Leo, a single slow-motion moment cost him dearly at the DP World Tour's Turkish Airlines Open.

Standing on the 11th tee at the National Golf Club during the final round, de Leo was just one shot off the lead and playing with electric momentum. But then came the clock. According to tour officials, the 26-year-old took a full 111 seconds to strike his tee shot on the par-3, 168-yard hole—more than double the allotted 50 seconds. Under the tour's pace-of-play policy, that extra minute-plus earned him a one-stroke penalty.

Here's where it gets particularly painful: de Leo had been under monitoring since the ninth tee, per Ben Parsons of Today's Golfer. On that fateful 11th hole, he pushed his tee shot short, then scrambled brilliantly to chip to within two feet and sink the putt. But just as he thought he'd saved par, an official delivered the bad news: his par was now a bogey. The tour later confirmed that de Leo "exceeded his allowed time for the stroke (50 seconds) by more than an additional 30 seconds—whilst being monitored."

The penalty proved costly. Over the remaining holes, de Leo played one-over golf, ultimately finishing four strokes behind champion Mikael Lindberg. For Lindberg, it was a dream come true—his first DP World Tour victory, complete with a dizzying, emotional finish. "I almost felt I wanted to throw up," Lindberg admitted.

De Leo wasn't the only player in the spotlight for slow play. The tour's "bad times register" also flagged two others—Adrian Otaegui, who took 58 seconds on an approach shot during the first round, and Stefano Mazzoli, who needed 76 seconds during the second round—though neither received a penalty.

Slow play has long been a hot-button issue in golf, and this incident serves as a stark reminder: in today's game, the clock is always ticking. For de Leo, a promising young talent, it was a tough lesson in the fine line between careful preparation and costly hesitation.