The PGA Tour’s letter-writing era continues, with veteran golfer Charley Hoffman weighing in on the hot topics of the pace of play and adding more Tour events to schedules. Hoffman’s letter, sent to fellow Tour members, emphasizes the need for players to take responsibility for speeding up their game, citing the long-standing issue of slow play. “We’ve taken a lot of heat over the past few weeks about slow play,” Hoffman writes. “And yeah, it’s an issue — for our fans, for us as players.”

Hoffman’s letter also touches on the importance of engaging with the broadcast, acknowledging Justin Thomas’s recent letter on the topic. However, Hoffman’s main concern lies with the Tour’s approach to adding playing opportunities in Signature Events. He argues that the current system, which uses the Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5 rankings to fill fields, doesn’t create enough unique opportunities for players.

But Hoffman’s letter took a surprising turn when it seemed to take a swipe at Rory McIlroy, who was busy winning the Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the time. The move didn’t sit well with the hosts of the Drop Zone podcast on Spotify, who ripped apart Hoffman for his “impartial” letter. “Like, please spare me the freaking high horse nonsense, because it’s just not necessary,” one host noted. Another host added, “Like, you’ve had a great life on the PGA Tour… you should be kissing the ground you walk on every night.” In the letter Hoffman had made an indirect remark about McIlroy stating that many players want to play fewer events on the Tour, however, they still continue to play for TGL, Race-to-Dubai, and other non-PGA events, suggesting that this will still happen irrespective of field size.

Hoffman’s actions were deemed hypocritical, with one host pointing out, “You literally have generational wealth from playing golf despite nobody knowing who you are… that’s incredible. Good for you.” The hosts also criticized Hoffman’s lack of self-awareness, saying “It’s like, who are you to be speaking about this stuff, man?” and “This is not an impartial observer here. This is a guy with some serious explicit skin in the game.” The hosts were clearly unimpressed with Hoffman’s attempt to take a moral high ground, and they weren’t afraid to call him out on it.

However, Hoffman’s concerns in the memo were not entirely different from Justin Thomas

Charley Hoffman’s words echo Justin Thomas’s sentiments

Justin Thomas and Charley Hoffman are two of the latest voices to join the growing chorus of concern about the slow pace of play on the PGA Tour. Thomas, one of the Tour’s top players, recently expressed his frustration with the issue, emphasizing the need for players to take responsibility for speeding up their game. “We’ve got to police ourselves, we’ve got to do better,” Thomas urged. His comments highlighted the need for players to be more mindful of their pace and to take ownership of the issue.

Thomas’s concerns were echoed by Hoffman, who noted that the slow pace of play has been a persistent problem on the Tour. Hoffman emphasized that players need to be more aware of their pace and take steps to improve it. But it doesn’t end there, Hoffman’s memo resonated with PGA Tour pro Dylan Wu, who praised Hoffman’s comprehensive approach to addressing the issues. “I honestly think he was pretty spot on,” Wu said. “He’s not a huge name but a well-respected guy with a great, long career.” Wu also noted that Hoffman’s memo covered more ground than Thomas’s previous memo, which only focused on being more media-friendly. “It’s a better email than JT telling us to be better with the media,” Wu said. “I recall a hot mic moment in Hawaii a few years ago… Being media accessible is not the only answer to a complex problem. It requires a more comprehensive approach and ownership from players.”

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