PGA TOUR Relaxes Restrictions on Mobile Devices

It has been well documented by now that golf is attempting to move to a more digital platform. On Thursday, the PGA TOUR took another step in making that digital move more of a reality.

It was announced on Thursday that the PGA TOUR will be relaxing some of their rules on how fans can use their mobile devices during tournaments. The new rules will allow for spectators to use their phones and other devices to take photos, videos, and audio during live tournament rounds. This is a change from the previous policy that only allowed for these types of media to be taken during practice rounds.

The change will officially take place this coming week at the Northern Trust and will continue to be the PGA TOUR’s policy moving forward. In the eyes of PGA TOUR officials, this is a simple way to help make the game more fan-friendly. The decision to go down this path was also made easier by the fact that the European Tour has been testing out a similar policy and are ready to implement something similar on a full-time basis.

Rickie Fowler of the United States uses his mobile phone during a…

Rickie Fowler of the United States uses his mobile phone during a practice round prior to the start of the 115th U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay on June 15, 2015 in University Place,… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

“The Waste Management Phoenix Open shares the PGA TOUR’s goal in finding new ways to enhance the overall fan experience and they knocked it out of the park with this new fan-friendly cell phone policy,” said Carlos Sugich, tournament chairman of one of the next events to allow this policy to take effect. “We have the greatest fans in golf and I know they will be excited to be able to capture all of the great moments during ‘The People’s Open’.”

While this is big news for fans, there are still several rules that will have to be followed. For example, all phones will have to remain on silent during the duration of the event and the flash function cannot be used. Any media captured can only be used for personal use as well, and live streaming of the event is forbidden. Any spectators violating these rules could have their tickets rescinded.

This looks like a great rule change for the PGA TOUR and hopefully, it will allow fans to capture pictures and videos that will last them for a lifetime.