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By Frank Pingue
(Reuters) - The PGA of America said
on Tuesday it will allow distance-measuring devices to be used
during competition at the three major tournaments it operates,
including the PGA Championship, in a bid to speed up play.
The policy, which also allows for such devices to be used at the
Women's PGA Championship and Senior PGA Championship, will debut
with the May 20-23 PGA Championship that will be played at the
Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
"We're always interested in methods that may help improve the
flow of play during our Championships," PGA of America President
Jim Richerson said in a statement.
"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."
According to the PGA of America, the devices allowed can report
only on distance and direction. Devices that calculate elevation
changes or that suggest a club for a player will not be allowed.
The rule could mean players and caddies spend less time figuring
out tricky yardages as they give competitors the ability to zero
in on a flagstick or other object in the distance to get a more
precise measurement.
The use of such devices had previously been allowed in practice
rounds but never during competition on the sport's biggest tours
or at its major tournaments.
World number 49 Will Zalatoris, who will be seeking his fifth
top-10 finish of the PGA Tour season at this week's AT&T Pebble
Beach Pro-Am, said he favoured the new rule.
"I'm hoping it helps, I'm all for whatever makes the game
faster," Zalatoris told reporters. "I don't really see a
downside to it."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar
and Ken Ferris)
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