Orlando, Florida -Slow pace has long been bothered by PGA tours and LPGA for many years. Last week, I reached a breakpoint with San Diego's Farmers Insurance Open. The CBS Sports Dottie Pepper stated that the last group would take 3 hours to complete 9 holes.
“I'm starting to need a new word to talk about the pace of play questions. It's respect,” Pepper said on the broadcast.
“Respect all your friends competitors, fans, broadcasts, all of them. You need to be better.”
Her comments were not directed to the final trio of Harris English, Andrew Novak, and Aldrich Podge itself, but was directed to everyone who played in the final round. All groups played at the glacier pace, and the final round has turned into a slow. It was hard to see.
On Wednesday, we announced that the PGA tour had assembled a task force. Investigate the problem of play paceAccording to Doug Ferguson AP communication。 One of the possible solutions is to allow rangefinder for all tour events, but players can use remote measurement devices with only PGA championships.
But 10 major winners, Annika Sorenstam, say that this idea is more harmful than good players.
[Rangefinders] I want to reconfirm the number now, so I will slow it down. Did you press the button correctly? Did you hit the flag, or hit the tree behind, or did you hit the pole behind the green? Sorenstam told SB Nation.
“Caddy always wants to have terrestrial yards. Because they are doing it. I don't think [rangefinders] Help me. It's a matter of catching up the group in the future and spending a certain time. As you know, AJGA is doing a good job. Once you play and reach the Hall No. 4, you need to take 1 hour, 2 hours after 8 holes. We need to push it. If they don't want to do it, minimizing the field will hurt others. “
In November, the PGA tour announced the rapid increase in the 2026 season. This includes a decrease in the field size. In the tour, I felt that excluding field spots would help the officials exclude tea time and thus improving the play pace.
However, the real problem is that PGA tours and LPGA do not force those who violate the play policy pace.
“The player wants a rhythm, Caddy wants a rhythm. The tournament wants rhythm, and fans don't just want to stand there,” said Solenstam.
“You need to deal with it. You need something that has some kind of impact or stink.
Later, Solenstam made a wonderful thing. She said that a polishing slopes should be like a child touching a hot stove. If their hands feel burns, they learn that they will never touch them again.
She feels a PGA tour and LPGA has to follow that premise.
“There are ways to go today, and there is a timing. The process, the number one is too long and skips a step behind. If you are behind, as a player you see, you are you. Not forgotten there, you will see it, “Solenstam said.
“”[Officials] “Okay, you have gained time.” Then there should be another step from there, and it must not be a fine. It should be more hurt. Stroke, 2 stroke, what is it? Maybe it's a pause on a certain street, but obviously, if it continues, you may want to consider the qualification of the player.
“It's not good for tours.”
You need to do something.
Even the Thursday's Solencestam round at the Hilton Grand Vacation Tournament of Champions, which featured 32 LPGA Pro and 51 celebrities amateurs, took more time than necessary. She played with the world's number one Nelly Corda and former MLB pitcher Derek Row. This group did not play slowly, but influenced everyone.
But at the end of the day, as Pepper said in Tory Pins, it is respectful. You have to do something, and the implementation of the shooting machine is similar to hitting the band aid with a gunshot. That is useless.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer playing SB Nation. Please follow him in X @jack_milko。
