PGA Tour Takes Major Step in Pace-of-Play Transparency with Public Data Release

The PGA Tour is taking unprecedented steps toward transparency in addressing one of golf's most persistent issues: slow play.

Korn Ferry Tour Leads the Way

Starting next month, the Korn Ferry Tour (KFT) will become the first professional tour to make pace-of-play statistics publicly available. Previously private data on average stroke times will now appear on player profiles and stat pages, marking a significant shift in how the tour addresses pace-of-play concerns.

Comprehensive Data Release

The new system will provide fans and players with: - Tournament-specific and season average stroke times - Overall Speed-of-Play rankings relative to tour average - Shot-type categorization (tee shots vs. approach shots) - Real-time individual averages during tournament play

Four Key Objectives

The PGA Tour Policy Board outlined player-friendly goals: 1. Providing competitive context to fans 2. Creating positive storylines around speed of play 3. Protecting players incorrectly labeled as slow 4. Informing and monitoring the slowest players

ShotLink Technology Enables Precision

This initiative leverages the same ShotLink system used for Strokes Gained statistics, which recently reached full implementation on the KFT. The technology provides the accuracy needed to offer meaningful context where it has been missing.

PGA Tour Implementation Uncertain

While KFT serves as a testing ground—similar to how MLB uses minor leagues—the timeline for PGA Tour implementation remains unclear. The tour is still finalizing competitive structure changes, including field sizes, which directly impact pace-of-play considerations.