BREAKING: PGA TOUR Updates Pace Of Play Policy

One of the biggest problems in golf the past few years has been the pace of play. Now, the PGA TOUR is announcing some changes to the policy in hopes of alleviating the concerns of fans and fellow pros.

The new pace of play standards will not be instituted until the RBC Heritage kicks off, right after the Masters. This will give the PGA TOUR three months and a major to help ease in the changes they are hoping to make. It’s also a good opportunity for players to get acclimated to the new changes before they become official. As for what’s coming, here’s a brief summary of the key changes that we’re in store for:

First and foremost, there is now something called the “observation list,” which is basically just a list that points out slow players. If you find your name on “said list”, it’s because you are taking 45 seconds or longer to hit your shot. The PGA TOUR came up with that number because it is the average time taken per shot by the slowest 10% of players. The list will not be made public but those who are consistently on the list with no improvement will face heavy punishment.

We can… pic.twitter.com/TOnRS4BXds

— Fantasy Golf Pod (@fantasygolfpod) August 10, 2019

On top of the observation list, there are new penalties for taking 2 minutes or longer to hit your shot (as Bryson DeChambeau did in the video above). The first offense results in a warning, the second offense will cost a player $10,000 with subsequent offenses bringing about a $20,000 fine. As for who will be keeping track of all of these times, that will be the rule officials that are on the scene.

If players are on the list, they get a notification prior to the start of their next tournament. At that point, they will have to take all of their shots within 60 seconds or they will be timed individually by an assigned rule official. They will then have to take their shots within 40 seconds or accrue a one-stroke penalty for each offense. If the player doesn’t comply, they will be given a “bad time” which can now result in a $50,000 fine after two offenses and an extra $20,000 every time after.

While the PGA TOUR is looking to institute these changes, the Korn Ferry Tour is also going to operate under this new system. It looks as though these changes are looking to really punish players in their wallets but only time will tell if it will work. If not, it looks like we’ll have to go back to the drawing board to try and solve this constant problem.

Cover Image Via Twitter