Feb 9, 2021
PGA of America to permit distance-measuring devices at its championships
The PGA of America is taking a step that it hopes will speed up play by announcing that it will allow the use of distance-measuring devices at all its championships starting this year. Bob Weeks explains.
By Bob Weeks
The PGA of America is taking a step that it hopes will speed up play by announcing that it will allow the use of distance-measuring devices at all its championships starting this year.
At the PGA Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship range finders and similar units now can be used.
“We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our Championships,” Jim Richerson, president of the PGA of America, said in a release. “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.”
The PGA becomes the first significant governing body to allow the use of these units in play in major championships. The PGA Tour, United States Golf Association, R&A and Augusta National Golf Club do not allow them and have given no indication they will any time soon.
While distance-measuring devices have been common among recreational golfers for more than a decade, it wasn’t until January 2019 that the Rules of Golf allowed for their use in any sort of tournament play. Prior to that, they were permitted only through the use of a local rule.
They have been used at top amateur championships run by the USGA and R&A since 2014. All amateur events operated by Golf Canada also allow the use and they were permitted at the RBC Canadian Open regional and final qualifying.
In all these events, the rangefinders have certain restrictions and are not allowed to measure elevation changes or determine wind direction. That will continue with the PGA’s championships.
There is debate as to whether rangefinders improve the pace of play but according to Brennan Little, a veteran PGA Tour caddie, it shouldn’t hurt.
“It’s not going to help that much if you’re in the fairway and you can find a sprinkler and get a yardage,” he said. “Where it will help is if you’re off-line and need to get a number. Overall, I think it will help time.”
Little, who carries the bag for Gary Woodland, said he carries a rangefinder in practice rounds and confirms his distance with the numbers in yardage books, which he described as exceptionally accurate.
He predicted what might occur would be a player using the rangefinder and a caddie pacing the yardage off to arrive at a final number.
The first event to see the distance-measuring devices in use will be the PGA Championship, May 20-23, at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, S.C.