This week a high -profile tournament takes place at the PGA Tour, the RBC Heritage, which will have an important novelty. It will be the first event of a series of four weeks and six tournaments of the PGA Tour that will allow the use of distance measurement devices (DMDs). This measure is adopted with the sole purpose of trying to accelerate the game.
The use of these devices is part of a broader plan to address the game rhythm. The test will begin in the aforementioned RBC Heritage and then in the Puntacana Championship corals (from April 17 to 20); Also in the Truist Championship and the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic (from May 8 to 11). The Korn Ferry Tour, the second import circuit of the United States, will allow these appliances for distance in three consecutive events, starting with this week’s Lecom Suncoast Classic. The PGA Tour Americas and the PGA Tour Champions already allow the use of distance measurement devices during the competition.
Gary Young, Vice President of Rules and Competitions of the PGA, said that “after that period”, they will evaluate with the players “how they went and if they were useful” the instrument to expedite the game.
Not everything will be allowed
The PGA has been very specific in a warning: “The players who choose to use a distance measurement device should ensure that it only measures the distance. All other functions, such as the field map, the guide for the selection of sticks and the measurement of slope, elevation and wind, must be deactivated before using the device during the competition. The first infraction of this rule has a penalty of two coup. disqualification ”.
But it is not the only measure that will implement the PGA Tour. “A penalty will be imposed by the first time warning, which occurs when a player exceeds the applicable time to execute a blow while being timed. Previously, the penalty of a blow did not apply until a player received a second warning.”
The game rhythm data of its members on its platform will also be published.