Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Golfing star Scottie Scheffler has expressed doubts regarding the effectiveness of rangefinders in resolving slow play issues at major tournaments. His comments on the PGA Tour’s recent rule modification come shortly after his narrow defeat to Rory McIlroy at the Masters.
PGA Tour Trials Rangefinders
The PGA Tour has implemented a rule change, permitting the use of rangefinders on a trial basis between the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship. These devices assist golfers in measuring distances on the course, providing accurate yardages to key points such as the green, flag, or hazards. This trial period will initially encompass six Tour events, beginning with the RBC Heritage tournament.
Scheffler’s Perspective at RBC Heritage
Following his fourth-place finish at the Masters, Scheffler is participating in the RBC Heritage, where he is the defending champion. At the Masters, Scheffler contended throughout the final round at Augusta before ultimately finishing outside the playoff won by Rory McIlroy over Justin Rose. McIlroy will not be competing at the RBC Heritage after his recent major victory, but Scheffler is present to defend his title.
Skepticism on Rangefinder Impact
Addressing the implementation of rangefinders, Scheffler, the defending RBC Heritage champion, stated his skepticism about their substantial impact on pace of play. “We’ve been using them at the PGA Championship for the last couple of years,” Scheffler noted. “Will it help pace of play? Maybe by a few minutes. Will it be anything significant? No.”
Pairing Size as Key Factor
Scheffler emphasized that a more impactful change to tournament pace would be achieved by reducing group sizes from three to two players. He elaborated, “In this tournament, the primary factor affecting pace of play is navigating the course. Playing in pairs this week, rounds may decrease from five hours to four hours or less.”
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Impact of Group Size and Course Design
Scheffler further explained the significant difference in pace of play between groups of different sizes:
- “The most substantial changes in pace of play arise from reducing pairings from three to two golfers. Navigating the course becomes considerably more efficient.”
- “The distance between greens and tees also plays a crucial role in time savings. While the current course layout is relatively straightforward to navigate, courses with longer transitions between holes can significantly add to round times.”
He highlighted the Masters as an example, noting the difference in round times: “Looking at average round times from last week at the Masters, Thursday and Friday rounds with threesomes took significantly longer than Saturday and Sunday rounds played in pairs, likely resulting in over an hour difference in pace of play.”