The PGA Tour Policy Committee’s final meeting of the year on Monday focused primarily on the circuit’s ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and other financial suitors, but the board said the players It also approved a range of changes with more immediate impact.
According to a memo sent by commissioner Jay Monahan to players early Tuesday, “matters related to tournament competition” include everything from adjustments to the tour’s pace of play policy to changes to how players with conditional status are classified. , it contained all kinds of content.
The pace of play policy is adjusted to account for tournament-to-tournament variations such as weather and golf course difficulty by creating an “average stroke time” instead of the previously used “observation list”. I did.
“At the end of a tournament, a player’s average stroke time is compared to the field average. If a player’s average stroke time is more than 7.0 seconds above the field average in a given tournament, then that player has recorded an average stroke time. It will be. [AST] violation,” the new policy reads.
Ten average stroke time violations in a season will result in a $20,000 fine, with additional fines for continued violations.
The changes to the conditional status categories were prompted by the move to a calendar year schedule for next season and the addition of more signature events.
“Access to conditional categories is expected to be even more limited under the new schedule model for 2024,” the policy reads, noting an estimated 10 percent reduction in opportunities next year. .
Athletes in various conditional categories – Athletes who finished in 126th place.th up to 150th Point lists from previous seasons, past champions, veteran members, etc. will be included in one rotation throughout the year based on their performance in the current season. Previously, these groups were periodically reshuffled within their own categories.
” [player advisory council] “While we discussed the merits of protecting conditional players within the category, comments ultimately supported rewarding the players who played the best this season,” the policy states. .