Copyright Yardbarker
Gary Player is convinced that the key to keeping golf’s appeal growing is to speed up play on the PGA Tour. Since Covid, interest in golf has surged, with more people tuning in regularly to follow PGA Tour events. But Player knows there are still issues the sport needs to sort out. One problem that stands out is how slow some rounds can get. Slow play was a big issue on the PGA Tour in 2025, and if rounds keep dragging past five hours, there is a real risk that younger fans might lose interest. But the South African thinks there is a straightforward fix for it. Gary Player has long advocated for rule changes to tackle slow play During his playing days, Player was noticeably quicker than many of his competitors. He has made it clear over the years that slow play is a threat to the game’s appeal and believes it needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Back in 2018, writing for Worldwide Golf, Player outlined what he believed was the clearest solution for slow play on tour. “The way to make golf more popular is simply amend the rules and speed up the game. Get rid of the reference booklets some players take an eternity to gaze at and say goodbye to five-hour rounds,” wrote the South African legend. “Alternatively, the pros should be allowed to use rangefinders to speed up proceedings. There’s nothing wrong with the game, it’s just the speed at which it is played. It’s ironic that the players on the Senior Tours play at a much faster rate than their colleagues on the regular tours.“ In 2025, the PGA Tour conducted trials using rangefinders across a series of six events. Early feedback from those trials has been positive, suggesting change may not be far off. Jack Nicklaus thinks a different change could help with pace of play Back in 2023, Nicklaus offered a different perspective when the topic of slow play came up. According to Golfweek, he suggested that rolling back the golf ball could help speed things up. “They do have a problem on the Tour today. The golf ball is a part of the problem. The longer the golf ball goes, the longer the courses get, the more you have to walk, the longer it’s going to take. I don’t think it’s good for the game. “(The USGA and R&A have proposed) Bringing the golf ball back (and reducing the distance it can travel). I think it’s a good start. It’s the first time they’ve done that in forever. We’ll see where it goes with that. “It’s got to be equitable, but they need to make an example and stay with it. It’s not very pleasant to watch somebody stand over the ball for half an hour.” Nicklaus makes a fair point, but he overlooks the fact that a player’s slowness is an inherent trait and is not dependent on how far they drive the ball.
