European Tour introduces shot clock event

Slow golfers may want to steer clear of the rebranded Austrian Open with only 40-50 seconds to play every shot or face a stroke penalty.

The European Tour will set a time limit on every shot at next season's re-branded Austrian Open in a bid to combat slow play.

The Shot Clock Masters in June will be the first tournament in professional golf to implement a restriction on every shot, with players facing a one-shot penalty for failing to play in time.

Each group will have 50 seconds for the first player to play any given shot, and 40 seconds for subsequent players. A one-shot penalty will be issued for each bad time incurred, with each player given two time-outs per round which will double their allotted time.

The concept was trialled by the Tour on a single hole at the GolfSixes earlier this year, and will now be rolled out over an entire 72-hole strokeplay event for the first time at Diamond Country Club.

It is hoped the move will cut round times by around 45 minutes.

"The 2018 Shot Clock Masters will be a fascinating addition to our schedule next year," European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said.

"Not only will it help us combat slow play and reduce round times, it is also further evidence of our desire to embrace innovation."


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world