PGA Tour Star Promotes Penalty Shots as Definitive Solution to Combat Slow Play
PGA Tour pro Byeong Hun An believes implementing penalty strokes is the definitive solution to combat slow play in professional golf. The Tour has recently prioritized this issue following feedback from a major fan survey.
Golfer wearing blue hat swinging club
While the Tour currently uses fines as punishment, An suggests that actual penalty strokes would be more effective in speeding up play. The Tour is exploring various solutions, including:
- Smaller tournament fields
- Testing rangefinder use during competitions
- Utilizing ShotLink data to track player pace
An expressed skepticism about rangefinders, noting they may actually benefit players who hit off-line more than those who find fairways. He suggests a shot clock system could be more effective, despite the logistical challenges of implementing it on a golf course.
Rory McIlroy, while vocal about slow play issues, acknowledges there's no simple solution: "This isn't a new problem, this has been around forever," he stated at Pebble Beach. He outlined several contributing factors:
- Tighter tee time spacing due to daylight constraints
- More players going for par 5s in two
- Longer par 3s
- Limited improvement potential (perhaps 15-20 minutes per round)
The consensus among players is that while fines haven't solved the problem, penalty strokes would likely motivate faster play more effectively than any other measure currently being considered.