Sepp Straka clinched his third PGA Tour victory on Sunday at the American Express. While the greens at Pete Dye Stadium, PGA West, were described as tough with many referencing them as “concrete,” they had evened out by Sunday. However, the pace of play was a significant issue, with one round extending over five and a half hours. This raises the question: how can this be happening?
The challenging conditions of the greens likely contributed, but slow play has been a persistent problem in golf for years. One proposed solution is to implement a shot clock akin to a pitch clock in Major League Baseball. This would allow players to see the countdown at each hole, and fans at home could view it similar to a ticker on their screens. Shane Ryan from GolfDigest.com expressed his thoughts on the shot clock, emphasizing its potential benefits for fans, stating, “It’s more difficult than people think to really improve things in that way. However, if we look back 10 years, pace of play hasn’t worsened, but attention spans have.”
Ryan noted that during the adjustment phase, some fans might leave, but it could be the same fans who are already dissatisfied with the lengthy rounds. In 2023, he shared insights on pace of play while discussing the issue with Gary Young, Senior Vice President of Rules and Competitions for the PGA Tour, which convinced him that there is indeed a pace of play problem.
Players can complicate matters, whether through individual actions or popularity dynamics. For instance, Rory McIlroy’s timing may escape scrutiny. While some suggest making courses easier, it could diminish the entertainment aspect that’s central to these discussions. Brooks Koepka, a three-time PGA Championship winner, mentioned the importance of the 40-second rule for taking a shot, advocating that exceeding this limit should result in a penalty stroke. This approach has proven effective in baseball, cutting down game times by about 30 minutes, and even long-time MLB players have embraced this change, believing it enhances the game.
