It worked for Major League Baseball, and Scott Van Pelt believes golf can similarly benefit from the addition of a shot clock.
Despite much resistance from traditionalists, MLB finally addressed the need to speed up its game by implementing a pitch clock in 2023. The reception to the faster paced games has been almost unanimously positive. Earlier this year, the inaugural season of TGL successfully teed off a fast-paced product thanks to a 40-second shot clock. And the success of both begs the question of whether the PGA Tour should consider a shot clock to improve its glacial pace of play.
Scott Van Pelt joined The Dan Patrick Show Wednesday morning to preview the Masters. And during the interview, Patrick cited Brian Harman being one of the slowest players on the PGA Tour before asking ESPN’s host of the Masters if it was time to implement a shot clock. While Van Pelt defended Harman by noting it’s something the 2023 Open Championship winner is working on, he was also quick to admit a shot clock could be a positive addition.
“The bottom line is, yeah, golf would benefit greatly if there were sort of a clock that we knew when it started and when it hits zero, you get a warning and then you get a penalty,” Van Pelt told Patrick. “Because the game does take a long time to get moving.”
Van Pelt, who also worked on ESPN’s coverage of the TGL, cited their commitment to the shot clock, but noted the ability to implement it because they play indoors. While the point is fair, the PGA Tour should also be able to figure out a way to have a 40-second shot clock outdoors that is visible, without being too much of a distraction. And if golfers are aware of an impending one-shot penalty for per shot clock violation, they’re certainly going to adjust.
Much like MLB had a pitch clock years before they began enforcing it in 2023, USGA Rules of Golf “recommends” the player take no more than 40 seconds to complete a stroke. But rarely are golfers penalized for slow play, the last instance coming in 2021. And if the PGA Tour is interested in attracting new viewers by livening the sport without altering its core, a shot clock is the quickest way to do it.
