PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Lucas Glover was bored on an airplane not long ago so he wrote down a list of ways to speed up play on the PGA Tour. On Wednesday, he shared that list during an episode of The Lucas Glover Show on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. Glover, alongside his co-hosts Mac Barnhardt and Taylor Zarzour. Glover has been outspoken about the Tour’s snail pace and how pace of play was used as an excuse to reduce Tour cards from 125 to 100 starting next season.
“Some of these seem small. Some of them seem big,” said Glover. “But I do think they are legitimate options that (a) should have been done before we cut 25 cards and (b) need to be done in the future no matter how many people play because PGA Tour players are just slow. We know this.”
Let’s take a look at Glover’s list:
- Course markings: “Every sprinkler head should be marked, not by a Tour caddie that’s walking the course on Monday. This should be up to the Tour or the tournament, so that a caddie that gets in a weird spot or a player that gets in a weird spot isn’t hunting for yardage. That takes time.”
- Distance-measuring devices: “They can only help. Not everyone will use them all the time but it sure would help given the option.”
- Bunker rakers: “Every group needs a raker. Just like the Open Championship. Have someone in each group rake the bunkers. Proper caddies take a lot of time and do an unbelievable job, as they should and as they need to, but it can cause backups.”
- No honorary observers: “Tour’s not going to like this but: honorary observers. Honorary observers are a couple people that the Tour puts in a group to walk inside of the ropes that probably work for the sponsor or are a guest of the sponsor. Guess what? They get in the way. They don’t know where to walk off of the greens, they don’t know where to stand. A lot of times the group behind is waiting on them.”
- Scrap sign bearers: “Everybody’s got a phone, everybody has leaderboard access…. you don’t need sign bearers anymore. The feature is nice and it gives the kids a cool experience but they get in the way because they don’t know where to walk.They stand in the fairway and the group behind has to wait for them to walk ahead – give those same kids a tutorial on raking and let them be the rakers. Still have the kids there.”
- Ban Aim Point: “Statistically, [Aim Point] hasn’t helped anybody make more putts since its inception on the PGA Tour. Statistics have borne that out. It’s also kind of rude to be up near the hole, stomping around figuring out where the break is in your feet. It needs to be banned. It takes forever.”
- Eliminate golf carts: “There are way too many golf carts on the golf course during play. Easily, the number one reason players back off golf shots is because a golf cart is going by or a golf cart stopping. And usually, it’s for a good reason, they’re bringing water to put in coolers or they’re shuttling people. But there’s got to be a way to eliminate some of the carts. … the No. 1 reason a golf pro will back off a shot is a golf cart on the PGA Tour, I would almost guarantee it.”
- Drop circles: “Every obstruction should have a simple drop circle. If you’re up against [an obstruction] or it’s in the way, drop [the ball] in the nearest designated area.”
- Learn the rules: “This one is courtesy of Barnhardt, not Glover, but he said he’s guilty of this. “I’m so scared to mess up,” Glover said.Zarzour dubbed this the best “Get off my lawn” segment in the Show’s history and he’ll get no argument here. What do you think of Glover’s ideas to improve pace of play?
Lucas Glover, a PGA Tour professional, recently spoke out about the ongoing issue of slow pace of play on the Tour. In a candid interview, Glover identified nine key fixes that he believes could help improve the pace of play and make the game more enjoyable for both players and fans.
1. Enforce stricter penalties for slow play: Glover suggests implementing harsher penalties, such as shot penalties or fines, for players who consistently take too long to hit their shots.
2. Implement a shot clock: Glover proposes using a shot clock system similar to what is used in other sports, where players have a set amount of time to hit their shots.
3. Increase marshal presence on the course: Glover believes having more marshals on the course to monitor pace of play and enforce rules would help speed up play.
4. Penalize players for excessive practice swings: Glover suggests penalizing players who take too many practice swings before hitting their shots.
5. Encourage ready golf: Glover advocates for players to be ready to hit their shots when it is their turn, rather than waiting for others to go first.
6. Improve course setup: Glover believes that course setup can play a significant role in pace of play, and that courses should be designed with pace of play in mind.
7. Educate players on pace of play: Glover suggests providing players with education and training on the importance of maintaining a good pace of play.
8. Use technology to monitor pace of play: Glover recommends using technology, such as GPS trackers or shot tracking devices, to monitor and improve pace of play.
9. Involve fans in pace of play efforts: Glover believes that engaging fans in efforts to improve pace of play, such as through social media campaigns or on-course signage, could help raise awareness and create a more enjoyable experience for everyone.
Glover’s suggestions offer a comprehensive approach to addressing the pace of play problem on the PGA Tour, and could help create a more efficient and enjoyable experience for players and fans alike.
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