
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA | With the timeless splendor of the Pebble Beach Golf Links glistening just outside, a group of PGA Tour executives Wednesday morning teased significant changes being considered as the tour adapts to the otherwise changing times.
At what the tour officials called an inflection point, more aggressive enforcement of pace-of-play guidelines, refinements to television coverage, a potential format change for the Tour Championship, allowing the use of distance-measuring devices and other proposals are in the works and could be formalized in March.

“As the commissioner said back at the end of the year in his video to fans, everything is on the table,” said Andy Weitz, the tour’s chief marketing and communications officer and executive vice president for investor relations.
Weitz said results from the tour’s Fan Forward initiative, which involved approximately 50,000 interviews, are among the driving influences as the tour faces challenges related to slow-play complaints and declining television ratings.
Leaning into what fans want while working with players and broadcast partners is the genesis for the potential changes. It’s part of what prompted Justin Thomas’ recent letter to fellow players, urging them to be open to new things.
“I think the two biggest takeaways are broadcast enhancements … and speed of play. And under speed of play, it’s both the perception of how long it takes and how much they see in the course of the broadcast as well as the underlying issue of whether or not it’s slow play itself,” Weitz said.
With Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth returning from injuries and the tour’s top players (absent the injured Xander Schauffele) teeing it up in a signature event at one of the most spectacular spots in golf, it feels like an important week as the tour tries to redirect a narrative that has drifted away from the competition itself.
“My understanding is they’re doing the right things as far as who they’re talking to, how they’re figuring it out. Then open to adjusting, you know? Open to making changes and changes quickly to just try to get what’s the best product we could have,” Jordan Spieth said.
The pace-of-play discussion has bubbled up again after the final groups in the American Express and the Farmers Insurance Open took approximately five and a half hours to complete their final rounds, though the conditions and unique demands of Torrey Pines’ 7,800-yard South Course contributed to the slow pace.
While Shotlink data from several years says what the tour calls “average stroke time” has not increased, clocking in around 38 seconds per shot, the tour acknowledges the need to increase the pace.
“This is all about changing player behavior, and they’re bought in on it right now.” – Tyler Dennis
The tour, chief competitions officer Tyler Dennis said, is considering making public how much time it takes each player to typically hit a shot, giving fans data as to who the fastest and slowest players are. Fines for pace-of-play violations could also be made public to bring more transparency to a subject that provokes fans’ frustration.
“This is all about changing player behavior, and they’re bought in on it right now,” Dennis said.

“Pace of play isn’t one thing. It’s many different things. Yeah, round times, that’s one thing. Player behavior is another. All of the technology and how we can improve flow is another thing.”
Overhauling how players are warned or punished for slow play is under discussion. Even the use of shot clocks has not been taken off the table.
“What is golf’s version of a shot clock? I’m not sure what it is. That’s one of the things that we want this working group of players that’s looking at pace of play to talk about,” Dennis said.
Perhaps most importantly, players are open to adapting to stricter enforcement of pace-of-play guidelines, taking more ownership in the process, said Gary Young, senior vice president rules and competitions.
“I think everyone that watches can say that there are certain players whose routines are longer than they need to be and these guys are admitting that. (We are) at a point in time right now where they’re admitting it and we’re going to try to address that,” Young said.
Utilizing new video capabilities and using Shotlink data to adjust traditional trouble spots regarding temporary immovable obstructions will help speed play, Young said.
So too will reducing field sizes, which will go into effect in 2026 when only the top 100 players on the FedEx Cup points list will retain their full playing privileges. The time difference between getting 144 players around a course and 120 or fewer is substantial, according to tour data.
Pace of play has been illuminated by the use of a 40-second shot clock in the new TGL, which forces players to move along.
“It’s amazing how 40 seconds is a long time. I wouldn’t be opposed to a shot clock, I’m a fast player,” Wyndham Clark said.

Later this year, the tour intends to test the use of rangefinders as another element in the pace-of-play equation. The tournaments in which testing would occur have not been identified but it’s another indication of the tour being open to change, even if critics say they’ve been too slow to allow use of the devices.
“We’re hearing it from our fans. They use them week in and week out. ‘Why would you hold that back if it could possibly improve pace of play, speed of play? Why aren’t you doing it?’’ Young said.
After interviews demonstrated a desire among fans to see a different format for the Tour Championship, the season-ending event in the FedEx Cup race, multiple options have been considered. Without getting into specifics about any potential change, one popular option is giving the top players a bye into a match-play bracket where they will face players who advance from a stroke-play competition.
It’s possible such a change could be confirmed at the next policy board meeting in March and be in effect at East Lake in August.
“If we can get alignment between one concept, then we’d do it as early as ’25. If it is yes, we love this idea but, and there needs more conversation, it’ll have to be ’26 because there will be more to work through,” Billy Schroder, senior vice president of competitions, said.