Golf

PGA Tour will keep a list of slow-play offenders as part of policy change


ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The on-going battle concerning pace-of-play issues on the PGA Tour will include a new front in 2020.

According to a report in Golf Digest earlier this week and confirmed by the PGA Tour, the policy board of the Tour approved a number of modifications Monday to address slow-play issues.

The issue of slow play has been around for 40, 50, 60 years and everyone knows who the slow players are, one PGA Tour player told Golfweek on the condition of anonymity. The player asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. He said it’s time for something to be done, if not, we’ll be talking about slow play for another 50 years.

Among the changes will be a departure from centering on one group of players to a system that focuses on the slowest players on the Tour. Those include players who frequently take more than 45 seconds to take a shot. Players are allowed 40 seconds to hit their shot if they are not the first to hit in the group.

The players deemed as repeat offenders will be placed on a list, though that record will not be released to the public nor to the PGA Tour membership. Instead, the list will pinpoint repeat offenders and would likely lead to heightened attention of those players.

Another change could include more on-course officials assigned to monitor slow-play concerns more thoroughly.

In August, the Tour announced a review its slow-play policy which included more than a decade of data collected by ShotLink, which has the capability to time players. According to Golf Digest, more than 10 million shots have been timed.

Also in August, the European Tour announced its four-point plan to address slow play.

Players will be informed of the Tour’s new policy during an educational program the first three months of 2020. According to the Tour, the new policy will go into effect in April.



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