PGA TOUR’s Biggest Pace of Play Culprit Says ‘It’s Something I’ve Been Working On’

With the PGA TOUR launching a series of initiatives and ways to combat the pace of play problem in professional golf, players and fans are getting what they want: a game that is not dragging on.

But one of the biggest pace of play culprits on TOUR is without a doubt Tom Kim, who has been known for his extensive waggles and pre-shot routine, along with his fiery personality.

This is absolutely crazy, there needs to be a shot clock of some kind https://t.co/Ke44wpxTST

— Golficity (@Golficity) February 2, 2025

Kim, who has been under fire for everything from his more-than-a-minute-long waggle at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am that resulted in a shot that went out of bounds to his complaints at the Presidents Cup about a gimme putt, says things are being improved (via Golf Digest):

“I’ve struggled with pace of play due to a lot of fighting with some mental stuff, but it’s getting a lot better. Torrey was a really good week for me. My pace of play got really improved starting from Waste Management, too. It’s something I’ve been working on. It helps when I feel like over the shot clock here, I know I’m comfortable over it, so I know I’m not struggling; it was just a matter of going out in tournaments and consistently doing it and beating that mental barrier.”

The shot clock he is speaking of is at TGL, the simulator league he is participating in that is backed by the PGA TOUR. 

Kim is not the only one on his team who is working on improving the speed of analyzing a shot, dialing it in, and executing. His caddie, Paul Tesori, who spent years on the bag for Webb Simpson and then shortly worked with Cam Young, is also doing his part to help Kim’s game get to a point where it is not painful for viewers to watch:

“I’ve lost a lot of weight this year; I’m walking really fast to get to the ball first, even some half-jogs. I’m … just trying to get to the ball a little bit faster, making sure the numbers that are coming out are very clear, very concise and not too many numbers. You know, if he’s not quite with me, say, hey, bud, let’s go, are you ready? There’s all these little small tricks that you can do to make sure. If we’re talking from a green to a tee and it’s a par-4, I’ve already told him the wind, so he doesn’t have to get up there and say, hey, Paul, where’s the wind? I’ve already told him it’s into and out of the left. It’s just another little four seconds that you can cut off of what’s going on.”

Pace of play is an issue at all levels of the game from beginners to the most seasoned TOUR pros. It’s gotten worse over the past few years on the professional level, however. There are certain names on the TOUR that are known for their more-than-concerted efforts to have everything be just right.

Kim is one of them.

The issue is that rounds of golf with the best players in the world should not take more than four-and-a-half hours to complete. We’ve seen some tournaments have pairings take three hours to complete nine holes. Do that at your local muni, and you’ll surely be getting a call or visit from the ranger.

The PGA TOUR is also doing its part to combat the issue. It recently revealed four ways it could help expedite rounds on TOUR, including the approval of use of rangefinders.

Cover Image via Titleist