The policy changes proposed to Jay Monahan & co. have not been received well by the golf community. The proposal suggested a change in the field size of all PGA events to reduce instances of delays and loss of play. It has been a major concern this season as a lot of players missed their chances to get the prize money because of the lack of play time available.

However, a reduced field size will have a major impact on the PGA Tour participants. Currently, the top 125 ranked pros are exempt from most of the events in the PGA Tour. But as per the proposed change, the number will drop down to the top 100. Moreover, the number of PGA Tour cards allotted to top Korn Ferry Tour and Q-School players will also be drastically reduced. This will reduce the opportunities for new players to enter the Tour even further.

Many individuals from the world have golf have had an issue with the proposal. They have stated that the problem does not lie with the ‘field size’. Instead, slow players are to be blamed for the delays and loss of play. We are going to list four of the biggest names in the world of golf who have voiced their opinions against the implementation of the new policies.

Lucas Glover

The 2009 U.S. Open Championship winner, Lucas Glover recently commented on his disapproval of the newly proposed policies that might come into effect in 2026. Speaking to media outlets, Glover said, “I think it’s terrible and then hiding behind pace of play, I think challenges our intelligence. They think we’re stupid.” He mentioned how the number of slow players was drastically low during his early days as a pro. Speaking about the situation at present, he said, “We have 50,” When he was asked if reducing the field size would help with the pace of play, Glover said, “Absolutely it will,” as he continued to share examples of how it will help manage the tournament schedule better. However, he suggested “You get a better pace of play policy or enforce the one you have better,” hinting that players who play slow and cause unnecessary delays should be fined accordingly.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Matt Fitzpatrick has time and again criticized slow players for causing unnecessary stress and delays on the course. In April 2023, he had called out the group playing ahead of his in an event. Fitzpatrick said “It’s a disgrace… it’s truly appalling… It’s like hitting your head against a brick wall.” in an interview for Sky Sports. More recently, Fitzpatrick replied to a tweet that shared Lucas Glover’s comments. @AdamSchupak posted, “The PGA Tour policy board will vote today on a number of changes and Tour vet Lucas Glover has emerged as the most vocal opponent of them. He says it is an insult to his intelligence to hide behind pace of play as the reason for needing to reduce fields.” Fitzpatrick reshared his tweet with his own comments saying, “He’s so right, pathetic that pace of play is spoke about every year and nothing ever gets done 😴.”

Padraig Harrington

Earlier this month, Padraig Harrington had also voiced his opinions on the issue. The 3X major winner joined Golf Channel’s show, Golf Today during his visit to Phoenix for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship 2024. When Eamon Lynch of the Golf Channel asked Harrington about the recent developments, the golf pro said it was “Terrible. Just terrible.” He further added, “At the end of the day, the people on the inside are voting to keep the thing tighter and more closed… The tour was running just fine,” suggesting that those who have their places secured are promoting such atrocious policies. Harrington also said, ” Fields go to 156 at certain times of the season or 144, but players will deal with it. They will handle that. They prepare for that.” Giving a glimpse at what it is like for players who won’t be exempt according to the new policy, he said, “Honestly, I really don’t think the system was broken. Maybe if I were in the top 60, I would be saying, ‘Hey, this is great,’ but if you are on the outside, it seems that this isn’t a good move.”

J.J. Spaun

J.J. Spaun is someone who will be directly affected by the implementation of the new policy. Ranked at 109th in the OWGR, Spaun might face difficulties retaining his PGA Tour card in 2026. The 34-year-old has every right to be upset with such developments in the PGA headquarters. Hence, it didn’t come as a surprise when he tweeted, “I mean, every weekend has more than 50% of the field gone and we still play in over 5 hours in 3 somes 🤷‍♂️.” As per his tweet, he seems to suggest that implementation of the new field size policies won’t have a drastic effect on the pace of play. Even when half the field size is cut on Saturday and Sunday, the players still play out the entirety of 5 hours of rounds 3 and 4 of the event. Hence, he doesn’t understand why such regulations would make sense.

Other than these 4, many other players, experts, and fans have always stated their dissatisfaction with the new policies. There is a general understanding that the existing regulations will be just as effective if the fines are increased and imposed more frequently. Players will automatically be more aware of not wasting too much time. This will not only reduce the pace of play issue but also improve the flow of the rounds during the tournaments.

What is your opinion about the situation? Do you agree with what these pros had to say about Jay Monahan’s new reforms? Let us know in the comments section!