The PGA Tour plans to implement new regulations that could result in penalty strokes being imposed on golfers such as Patrick Cantlay who display excessively slow play.
PGA Tour
commissioner
Jay Monahan
revealed changes are set to be made to the pace of play policy, which include the publishing of speed of play stats this season and the testing of a new speed of play policy on the KFT. The
PGA of America
also imposes penalty strokes for delayed gameplay.
At the 2025
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
, commentators and other professionals criticized Tom Kim following his actions on the renowned course. The World No. 23 spent an entire 42 seconds aligning his second shot at the par-5 sixth hole, followed by another 23 seconds staring intently at the ball before hitting it into the Pacific Ocean.
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During the intense final round, commentators Jim Gallagher Jr. and Frank Nobilo found it difficult to conceal their irritation as they exchanged a flurry of comments. Gallagher Jr. sarcastically remarked, “A single fewer waggle might have made a difference,” whereas Nobilo stated, “The anticipation didn’t pay off.” In response, Gallagher shot back, “Wasn’t valuable for whom?”
Michael S. Kim was similarly irritated with Kim’s playing style, proposing that the PGA Tour highlight the top ten slowest players every week as a form of accountability. He expressed his frustration on X, stating: “He’s really slow. Everyone knows that haha, anything else?”
Cantlay,
Who is a intense competitor?
of
Rory McIlroy
will also express concern over the introduction of the new regulations alongside Kim. This player, aged 32, has gained recognition for their deliberate pacing during games, much like
Brooks Koepka
And Matt Fitzpatrick criticizing his speed in recent years.
When questioned regarding his pace of play during 2023, Cantlay proposed ways for the PGA Tour to enhance so he could move quicker without renouncing his approach. He stated, “To genuinely encourage players to speed things up, consider moving the tees forward and placing simpler pin positions; also, keep the green speeds around 10 on the Stimpmeter, assuming winds stay under 10 mph.”
When you face particularly challenging days with very swift greens and pin positions placed on significant slopes, it will require more time to complete the round. However, as I’ve mentioned previously, tournament rounds have maintained roughly the same duration over several years now, and I doubt they’ll alter this setup.
golf
Sure, kind of, for instance, making the rounds quicker, as I mentioned,”
After the Genesis Open last month, CBS commentator Dottie Pepper voiced her irritation over the sluggish tempo of gameplay at Torrey Pines. She remarked, “I believe we might require a fresh term to discuss this problem with pacing; let’s call it ‘respect.’ Respect for your fellow players, for the spectators, for those broadcasting—it simply has to improve.”
Tyler Dennis, who serves as the chief competitions officer of the PGA Tour, concurred: “I believe this is a critical time for everything to be reconsidered. I feel like changes are imminent.”
Dennis’ predictions appear to hold merit after Monahan’s statement. However, the timing of this alteration being implemented on the PGA Tour remains uncertain.
