"Put in a shot clock", "LIV is doing good job": Fans react to PGA Tour moves to tackle slow play

One of the biggest issues that the PGA Tour is currently struggling with is slow play. The pace of play issues are not only frustrating for the players and brodcasters, but for the viewers as well.

Recently, golf legend and CBS broadcaster Dottie Pepper called out golfers for slow play at the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open. The previous weekend, the final round of the American Express exceeded the TV airtime window by 40 minutes.

With golf viewership fast plummeting, the PGA Tour is reportedly considering new initiatives to resolve slow play issues. NUCLR Golf posted about it on its X account.

"SLOW PLAY — The PGA TOUR says they are considering several new initiatives to fix slow play issues. The proposed changes include: testing the use of range finders in competition, publicize pace of play data with 'average stroke time', publicly disclose fines & penalties for players to provide transparency (currently private), aim to speed up rulings using video review at its Florida production studio."

Fans were quick to react to these suggestions reportedly made by the PGA Tour. Some fans felt that putting a clock and applying a penalty could resolve the issue.

"Put in a shot clock. What is there to talk about? As soon as it's your turn to shoot you have 30 seconds. What's the problem?"

"Use range finders, penalize players, LIV is a doing good job of keeping rounds to around 4 and a half hours."

"Call me crazy.. but these guys have been playing golf long enough that you shouldn’t have to call in a rules official every time they need to take a drop," one fan vented.

"How bout banning the endless chit chat and agonizing over every single shot simple or difficult like Speith and Greller," another opined.

"Name names publicly of slow players," one fan suggested.

"If they aren't penalizing guys on the course, none of this other stuff matters," another stated.

The PGA Tour had introduced weekend cuts to resolve the matter however that hasn't proven to be effective as of yet.

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What did Dottie Pepper say about slow play at the PGA Tour's 2025 Farmers Insurance Open?

Dottie Pepper (Source: Imagn)

Two-time major winner and CBS reporter, Dottie Pepper, followed the leading group of golfers in the final round of the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open for almost three hours in cold and windy conditions.

When the group reached the 10th, she vented out her frustration to her broadcast teammate Frank Nobilo. She urged players to show "respect" to viewers, fellow competitors and broadcasters.

"You know, Frank, I think we're starting to need a new word to talk about this pace of play issue, and it's respect. For your fellow competitors, for the fans, for broadcasts, for all of it. It's just gotta get better," she said (via Golf Digest).

Nobilo agreed with her sentiments. The golfers were averaging at a glacial 20 minutes per hole speed in the final round of the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open. The final group had teed off at 2:11 pm ET on Saturday and it seemed like they wouldn't finish before dark. If that had happened, the final playoff would have to be shifted to Sunday.

However, the group quickened their pace and finished 15 minutes before the TV window closed. Harris English took home the title with a score of 8-under.