Jay Monahan & Co. are changing the rules of the PGA Tour again. The arrival of LIV Golf has forced the PGA Tour headquarters to make some drastic changes to keep up with the competition. Jay Monahan and his team have implemented various strategies, including changing the calendar format, increasing the purse values, and more. But they have still faced a lot of criticism from the fans due to various issues in the Tour. One of them has been the pace of play.

The incredibly slow and frustrating flow of play in the PGA Tour has been widely observed by the community. It fell under further scrutiny after LIV Golf started forcing its pros to play quicker. Having a faster-paced and shorter version of the game made many fans switch over to the dark side. Whether you call it betrayal and lack of loyalty, the fact is, the PGA Tour has made them do it. Even Jay Monahan wouldn’t deny it if he ever spoke honestly. But the Tour officials have proposed some changes recently to improve that. What are these changes? Let’s find out.

How is the PGA Tour planning to improve the pace of play?

One of the proposals was the new field size policy. According to the PGA Tour headquarters, if the field size is reduced then that would drastically improve the pace of play. However, what they failed to realize, and what many fans pointed out, the number of players on the course was not the real issue. It actually was incredibly slow players (read “Patrick Cantlay”).

It seems that the PGA Tour has finally realized that. Or at least they are pretending to understand it. However, as reported by NUCLR Golf on X, “PGA TOUR to test the allowance of distance measuring devices during competition in an effort to speed up the pace of play. (Via @Daniel_Rapaport).” For anyone who didn’t understand what they were saying, the PGA Tour is considering allowing rangefinder devices on the course. They were completely against it in the past.

Slow players might spend less time calculating the shot if they have access to such devices. At least that is what the PGA Tour headquarters think. Whether it will actually help? Only time will tell. For now, let’s take a look at other leagues (LIV Golf) that also allow their players to use rangefinders.

Do rangefinders help with the pace of play?

Rangefinders make it quite easy for a golfer to judge a stroke. Players will not have to waste too much time judging the distance from the ball to their target, which makes it convenient for them to plan their next move. That means that they will spend less time thinking about the field and more time lining up for their next stroke. And it’s a tested theory by the rival league of the PGA Tour.

Yes, LIV Golf allows its players to use rangefinders to judge the distance. As we all know, LIV Golf players are able to manage an excellent pace of play. Despite the rigorous slow-play rules implemented by the former commissioner; Greg Norman, they have only had the opportunity to fine their players twice in the 3 years since their inception. The PGA Tour has made more incidents of slow play in most of the months in 2024. In fact, Patrick Cantlay has been criticized for the same issue by two different players in two separate events. That just tells you how effective rangefinders are.

Do you think the PGA Tour is making the right decision to improve the pace of play this time? Share your views in the comments section.