Slow Play in Fans Crosshairs

Oddly, the data, which will be shared in depth in March, differs among the demographics polled. Some want more shots, while others wish more walk and talks with players, and others want to get to know the player outside the ropes.

Competition adjustments are reflected in the changes made at the beginning of the year when both exempt status and field size at events will be reduced to play faster.

Under this category, the Tour is looking at making a significant change to the format of the Tour Championship, the finale to the FedExCup season.

The change could happen in 2025 or 2026, with the Tour making the decision over the next month.

The player content and profiles area is driven by the YouTube creators with the hopes that players can raise their profile and provide meaningful information about themselves outside the game using tools like YouTube.

Lastly, the onsite experience enhances the experience for fans outside the ropes at individual PGA Tour events.

On Wednesday, the PGA Tour focused its discussion on competition adjustments, specifically slow play.

Going back to Ben Hogan in the 50s, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus in the 60s and 70s, Greg Norman in the 80s, Tiger Woods in the 90s, and now Rory McIlroy and others since the turn of the century, slow play has been an issue.

“I think like this isn't a new problem, this has been around forever, but slow play was also around when people seemingly loved golf,” Rory McIlroy said on Tuesday. “I don't know what the answer is. There's a lot of different answers, but not every answer is going to -- is not going to make everyone happy.

However, in 2025, the PGA Tour realized that slow play was an issue and wanted to combat it, mainly it seems because fans made their position known in the fan survey.

Using Shot Link and other tools, one of which is called Average Shot Time (AST), which the PGA Tour has been compiling for over five years, will help the Tour implement a comprehensive slow play policy.

The Tour also believes that the change made regarding smaller fields will help.

The AST tool has been used, according to the Tour effectively to combat the slow play scrouge, but those players fined and penalized have never been disclosed.

In a desire for transparency, driven again by the fans survey, the Tour is contemplating the disclosure, by name, of those who, according to their statistical analysis, are slow and have been fined for their behavior.

Historically, the Tour has not been willing to be transparent and discloses only when a player tests positive for a prohibited substance that enhanced performance.

Now, the Tour is looking at transparency like other major sports leagues and publicly disclosing violations and fines.

In August, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said everything was on the table.

Monahan may be true to his word, but there is a lot of back-and-forth to go before a comprehensive plan can be developed.

Slow play has been around a long time and its eradications is not a simple one, which every golf administrator has found over time.