Looks like the PGA Tour got pulled into a growing fight on Capitol Hill. What began as a dispute over changing clocks twice a year has now taken an unexpected turn. That has brought professional golf into the broader argument over federal legislation, with the PGA Tour finding itself in the middle of it all.
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“The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments. Likewise, regular Golfers, Tennis Players, hunters, and, perhaps most importantly, Farmers who want more Daylight to play or work. See letter from Brian Rolapp, CEO of the PGA TOUR below. 65% PLUS want more sun in the afternoon, Daylight Saving Time (The way it is now!), but 100% don’t want to change their Clocks twice a year.” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, as reported by the Chief White House Correspondent, Kaitlin Collins, via an X post.
On October 1, 2026, Rolapp wrote to Donald Trump, expressing his and the PGA Tour’s support for the Sunshine Protection Act. “Most golfers do not play full-time and fit the game into the margins of a busy life: reps on the range after work, taking their kids to the course after school, or trying to fit in nine holes before dark. That window is already tight, but when the clocks fall back, it closes entirely. An extra hour of evening light sounds simple, but for everyday Americans, it can be the difference between getting on the course and not,” Rolapp wrote, emphasizing PGA Tour’s “strong support” for the act.
Rolapp believes that keeping the clocks permanently on Daylight Saving Time will expand access to golf. In fact, the PGA Tour has also faced this problem for several decades, as its events run on daylight.
When autumn and winter bring shorter days, the Tour can no longer complete scheduled rounds. This forces players to come back early the next morning to continue. It also alters the competitive schedule, reduces field sizes, and sometimes finishes on Monday rather than Sunday.
A clear example of this occurred at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in February 2026. The first round ran a little late and was cut short by darkness. Officials suspended play at 6:05 p.m. Seven players had to complete their rounds early the next morning, before the second round.
The PGA Tour even has to treat daylight as a scheduling and field-size constraint. The Tour’s efforts to revise field structures have explicitly linked smaller event fields to pace of play and the need to complete competition in available daylight.
In 2024, Sports Business Journal reported the Tour’s proposed daylight-related changes for full-field events. One-course events before daylight saving time were to be limited to 120 players. Similarly, events after daylight saving time began and before the Masters could be 132 players.
Permanent daylight saving time would obviously not create more daylight. But it would move an hour of it from the early morning to the late afternoon. That could make it valuable for golfers, especially for casual players whose usable golf time is after work.
The bill has already been proposed, but Arkansas Republican Representative Tom Cotton has opposed it on safety, health, and geographic grounds. It could potentially leave Arkansas children going to school and workers commuting in darkness before sunrise.
Donald Trump has specifically asked Arkansans to ask Cotton to vote in favor of the bill. He reportedly even shared Tom Cotton’s phone number. Although the number’s authenticity is unverified, Trump’s public pressure on Cotton represents an escalation.
Tom Cotton’s opposition shows why the debate extends beyond the PGA Tour’s need for additional afternoon daylight. As Donald Trump continues pushing the measure, the question is whether Congress will prioritize longer evenings for golf and other outdoor activities or keep the current clock-changing system.