By Iain Carter BBC Sport golf correspondent

Woods is getting frustrated by the slow play of some players

World number one Tiger Woods has called on the golfing authorities to take action to combat the issue of slow play on the PGA Tour.

"It's been an ongoing problem on the PGA Tour for some time," Woods said in his newsletter to fans.

"I honestly believe the pace of play is faster in Europe and Japan."

Woods played against JB Holmes - renowned as one of the most methodical players on the circuit - at last week's WGC Matchplay in Arizona.

Holmes has a pre-shot routine that includes four practice swings and several twitchy rehearsals of his hitting action before settling over his ball.

The rules of golf insist on play proceeding "without undue delay".

At big events in the United States, rounds can often take around five hours to complete and the issue is beginning to become a major concern for the game in general.

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Recent figures suggest golf in the US is in decline because people lack the time to play on a regular basis.

Woods, who is in a superb run of form, admitted he was not sure how to best resolve the problem.

"It has been suggested the offenders should be penalised with strokes (against them)," he added.

"The problem is you may get one guy who slows down a group by playing at a snail's pace and gets them all put on the clock, which isn't fair.

"I know this is a complicated issue. Hopefully it can be addressed in the near future."