The Shot Clock Masters at the Diamond Country
Club next June will give the first player in a group 50 seconds
to make any given shot and 40 seconds each for players that
follow.
A one-shot penalty will be incurred for bad times, shown as a
red card against the player's name. Players can also opt for two
time-outs in a round, giving them double the allotted time to
play the shot.
"Not only will it help us combat slow play and reduce round
times, it is also further evidence of our desire to embrace
innovation," European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley told the
tour website (www.europeantour.com).
The European Tour trialled the concept on a single hole in the
GolfSixes event at the Centurion Club in May and were happy with
the feedback from players and fans.
Austria's Bernd Wiesberger, currently 11th in the Race to Dubai
rankings, welcomed the change.
"The new shot clock format is an ideal way to focus on the issue
of pace of play," he said.
"The game of golf should definitely be faster and therefore this
is a step in the right direction."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
|