The Kevin Na slow play phenomenon at the Tournament Players Championship has everyone in the golf community talking about slow play. Na has become the poster-boy for slow play and has been torched in the locker room and in social media. He was put on the clock in the third round of the tournament and then recorded a bad time, which means by PGA Tour Pace of Play guidelines, he is likely subject to an automatic fine.
Rule 6-7 in the Rules of Golf covers Undue Delay; Slow Play. The Rule states: “The player must play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines that the Committee may establish. Between completion of a hole and playing from the next teeing ground, the player must not unduly delay play.” Note 2 under this Rule says: “For the purpose of preventing slow play, the Committee may, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), establish pace of play guidelines including maximum periods of time allowed to complete a stipulated round, a hole or a stroke.”
The normal penalty for a breach of Rule 6-7 would be two strokes in stroke play. In stroke play, the Committee may, in such a condition, modify the penalty for a breach of this Rule as follows:
First offense – One stroke
Second offense – Two strokes
For subsequent offense – Disqualification
In Michigan PGA events, we define undue delay as taking more than 40 seconds to play a stroke. Other than on the putting green, the timing of a player’s stroke will begin when he and his caddie have had a reasonable opportunity to reach his ball, it is his turn to play, and he can play without interference or distraction. Time spent determining yardage will count as time taken for that stroke. On the putting green, timing will begin after a player has been allowed a reasonable amount of time to lift, clean and replace his ball, repair his ball mark and other ball marks on his line of putt and remove loose impediments. Time spent looking at the line from beyond the hole and/or behind the ball will count as time taken for that stroke. Our Pace of Play Policy has been adopted from USGA and PGA Tour events.
If you have any questions on the Rules of Golf you can submit them to “Ask The Pros” @new.mikefaygolf on Twitter or you can contact me direct at [email protected] I hope you are “Playing by the Rules.”
Frank Guastella, PGA Master Professional
Michigan PGA Rules Official
Staff Writer for Mike Fay Golf
On thé Golf Channel final round telecast this past weekend, Morgan Pressel was heard to make a comment to the effect that a player is allotted 30 seconds to make a shot. Was she wrong?
While playing in our club championship, a two day one week apart tourney where i was the low gross participatant and agreed i was in violation of using a club for alignment purposes on the tee boxes and was assessed a two stroke penalty on each nine after the scorecard was signed and shown on the scoreboard. Because rule 34 no longer stands, please explain rule 20.
Subsequently, i believe one of the competitors also in our group was in violation of rule 6.7, where his ball ended up behind a tree, was found immediately by a spotter then asked for assistance to determine his outcome. He initially refused advice to either mark vall or pick up with two fingers not to clean or palm it, to identify whether he was in fact in a burrowing animal hole. We agreed he would get relief, but while we waited in the fairway for him to execute his shot, it took over 8 to 10 minutes, therefore would he be in violation, thanks
When will the PGA address Cantlay and his unconditionally slow pace of play?
Fining a player who makes millions will not cure this problem, but if a penalty makes them lose an event and or a Major that will surely burn in their memory.
Slow play should be an immediate penalty of 1 stroke, then 2 strokes etc,
If that cost them a good finishing position it should wake them up.
The PGA & Commentators are always talking about it and have done for years,
Someone at the events should have the backbone to penalise players if they constantly go over the 40 sec guideline. I have watched numerous tournaments on the TV and I see MOST of the players go way over there 40 sec and even if a referee is right there they do intervene, As far as I’m concerned they are not doing the job they get paid for so should be reprimanded,