Bobby Jones, the legendary amateur and co-founder of Augusta National, not only played golf well, he played the game fast. There was little fidgeting or hesitation as Jones stepped over a shot. Slide it in, maybe wiggle it a bit and let it rip. Ditto on the greens, where he believed examining putts from multiple angles was unnecessary, if not counterproductive.
Roughly a century after Jones’s prime, his penchant for a spirited pace is alive and well at the club he helped found – or, at the very least, the club’s forward-looking chairman Fred Ridley has championed the cause. Look no further than Ridley’s state-of-the-union comments at the Masters a year ago. In the weeks leading up to the 2025 tournament, the slow pace on the PGA Tour had become so offensive that CBS Golf reporter Dottie Pepper called it out on the air.
Pepper’s criticism led to much heated debate on the subject, prompting Ridley to say in scripted comments to the press: “The subject of pace of play is paramount. Playing without undue delay, as the rules and traditions of the game dictate, is an essential skill of golf at all levels. Recognizing the challenges that professionals face every week, I also believe that pace of play is an important element in assessing the world’s best players.
“Golf is a special game because it requires us to be thoughtful while being competitive. Respecting other people’s time, including, most importantly, the fans who support the game, is a fundamental courtesy. That’s why I want to encourage continued dialogue on this topic, especially at the professional levels that serve as the most visible representation of our sport.”
But Ridley’s concern extended beyond the professional game and even into elite amateur and college competition, all the way to the juniors. That became clear when he was asked to reflect on a young golfer who had used the time-consuming AimPoint green-reading technique – which has become popular in the professional game – in the final of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals. (There were actually several players who used the technique, but a reporter asked Ridley about one in particular.)
“I noticed exactly what you noticed too,” Ridley said. “It’s interesting, but every phase of the competition has the same length of chip and the same length of putt, so there’s really no need to pace that. They know how many yards that is. But still, that’s what they did. I think it’s safe to assume that next year in the Drive, Chip & Putt you’ll see some sort of time limit on the competition.”
Ridley wasn’t bluffing.
On Tuesday, the DC&P, which is run jointly by the Masters, the USGA and the PGA of America, announced a new rule – essentially a shot clock – that will be instituted during the event’s finals at Augusta National in April.
6 rules the PGA Tour is implementing in 2026 (and what caused them)
By means of:
Alan Bastable
At that stage of the competition, each of the 80 finalists hit just six shots apiece (two drives, two chips, two putts), so you can understand why they’re in full grind mode. However, to alleviate some of the problems, the event is introducing a “pace of play bonus,” where participants will earn half a bonus point for each shot they complete in 40 seconds or less, meaning players who complete all six of their shots within the allotted time will earn a total of three bonus points. “This initiative aims to strengthen pace of play as an essential skill in golf,” said a press release announcing the new rule.
According to this the official rulesis how the tempo will be controlled:
First shot
- Timing for the first shot begins when the player’s name is called by the announcer and the playing area is clear and unobstructed
- Time stops once contact is made with the golf ball
Second shot
- The timing for the second shot starts when the result of the first shot has been dealt next to each skill on the leaderboard
- Timing stops once contact is made with the golf ball
Scoring procedure
- Dedicated timing officials will monitor every skill to accurately time every shot
- The leaderboard next to each skill will be filled with a check mark if the shot is hit in time
- The leaderboard will be filled with an X if the shot is not hit in time
- Once both shots are completed, the total number of bonus points earned will be displayed on the leaderboard, along with the player’s regularly assigned points based on performance
Sensitive? We think so! If only we could get the pros moving, because after all, the stars of tomorrow will follow their example. As Ridley said last year, “These young people are looking at their heroes who play the game every week for a living, and seeing how they’re going to approach playing the game competitively.”
If DC&P’s new rule is to be effective, that formula may need to be turned on its head.
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