The reintroduction of rangefinders for the PGA Championship has not been without controversy, with penalties now in place for any player found to be in breach of the strict rules
PGA Championship competitors are set to speed up their game as rangefinders have been given the green light. The technology was originally banned until 2021.
However, with the pace of the game becoming something of a contentious issue, with speed being a particular concern at the Masters in April – and something Rory McIlroy has repeatedly complained about on the PGA Tour – devices will be utilised as a way to not only encourage players to up the pace but also to improve fan experience.
Quail Hollow crowds will now catch caddies evaluating distances in mere seconds. During the Players Championship in March, it was made public that the PGA Tour would allow players to use rangefinders, albeit with a “distance-only” setting.
The tech was introduced in a trial setting at the RBC Heritage and Corales Puntacana events and was used throughout the Truist Championship and OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic.
Rangefinders once presented a degree of controversy for handing players a seemingly unfair edge. However, it’s now hoped that, particularly where a player is off the fairway and away from yardage markers, a rangefinder will allow them to get an accurate yardage faster, thus propelling the state of play, reports the Mirror US.
Korn Ferry Tour trials saw no huge upturn in pace, although shots were played quicker when a player was out of position.
The US PGA reintroduced rangefinders for the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, but players must adhere to strict regulations, particularly rule 4.3a (1), which covers ‘Distance and Directional Information’.
This rule allows golfers to gather information on distance or direction, such as from a rangefinder or compass. However, it prohibits measuring elevation changes, or interpreting distance or directional information, like using a device to suggest a line of play, or club choice based on the ball’s location.
Severe penalties await those who don’t comply with the rules. A player found using their device beyond the “distance-only” setting will incur a two-stroke penalty for the first infraction, and a second violation results in immediate disqualification from the event.
US star Davis Riley recently experienced the stringent enforcement of these rules. Competing at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas, Riley self-reported using his rangefinder with the slope feature active and received a two-shot penalty for the breach.
Back in 2021, the governing body announced their decision to reintroduce rangefinders as part of efforts to speed up the game. PGA of America president Jim Richerson said at the time: “We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our championships.
“The use of distance-measuring devices is already common within the game and is now a part of the Rules of Golf. Players and caddies have long used them during practice rounds to gather relevant yardages.”
Gary Young, the PGA Tour’s Chief of Rules and Competitions, also weighed in on the matter, telling Golfweek: “So far, so good.
“I think the guys are taking ownership and realizing they have got to make a change, or something bad is going to come their way. They’ve heard all this talk about shot clocks and things that they don’t feel having any place in the game.”
