BREAKING: PGA TOUR Mulls First Pace of Play Combat Strategy

The PGA TOUR is mulling its first big change to the game in an effort to combat the pace of play, which is something many fans and players have complained about over the past few years.

The TOUR is now considering allowing players to utilize distance-measuring devices during competition at all times, a change from current rules, as it will help speed things up on the course and eliminate rounds of excessive time.

Dan Rapaport of Skratch was the first to report:

PGA Tour says they will test allowing players to use distance-measuring devices during competition. One of a number of initiatives to try to speed up play.

— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) January 29, 2025

The TOUR has not allowed rangefinders despite the PGA of America enabling their use in 2021 as a way to improve the pace of play. 

Now the TOUR is looking to let players and caddies use them in an effort to speed things up during tournament rounds. The change has no clear-cut date as of now, but the TOUR has said that it is going to test the theory to see if there is any change.

The move comes just days after the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open yielded a five-and-a-half-hour round from Champion Harris English. The front nine of this round took over three hours to complete.

Dottie Pepper, longtime PGA TOUR commentator, said that the lack of awareness of the pace of play was disrespectful to fellow players and even fans and media. It is one reason the TOUR has dealt with falling viewership numbers.

Cover Image via Golf Monthly