Slow play has become one of professional golf’s most persistent frustrations. Players, fans, broadcasters, and almost everyone else associated with golf are questioning how long a round should really take. The PGA Tour already has pace-of-play rules and penalties. However, the issue keeps sparking debate whenever groups fall behind, and rounds stretch beyond the expected time.
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Now, a light-hearted discussion on Talk Birdie to Me has offered a solution that would take accountability in a very different direction. The idea sounds hilarious at first, but it raises a serious question about whether professional golf needs stronger pressure to keep players moving.
“If the player does not strike the ball within the allowed time, I think all other players should be allowed to heckle them,” suggested a fan named Brian.
Nick O’Hern and Mark Allen both suggested that officials could allow this. In fact, they suggested that crowds should be allowed to do that. This already happens in clubland because slow players quickly learn from the shouts of the groups playing behind them.
Both hosts floated their own ideas to take creativity to the next level. Nick O’Hern suggested officials could require players to wear a bracelet that delivers an electric zap if they exceed the time limit. Similarly, Mark Allen suggested using prongs like cowboys used to guide cows in the right direction.
While this was just a fun discussion, the pace-of-play issue is severe. For example, the final round at the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines took five and a half hours. Harris English, Andrew Novak, and Aldrich Potgieter needed almost three hours to play the front nine.
Broadcaster Dottie Pepper criticized the delay, questioning respect for competitors and viewers. Similar delays occurred at the American Express, where Sepp Straka took five hours and 39 minutes for one round.
Brian Harman took 3 minutes for a shot at the 2024 Players Championship; Tom Kim took 1:23 at the 2024 Travelers Championship. Many examples show players taking over a minute to play a single shot. This habit frustrates fans and fellow players alike.
The PGA Tour does have penalties for slow play, but they aren’t very strict. Players first get a warning and are placed on the clock before penalties apply. Once timed, the standard allowance is 40 seconds per stroke, and 50 seconds in some situations. Players who continue to play slowly after officials put them on the clock receive stroke penalties. However, the PGA Tour rarely enforces these penalties.
The Tour is already moving towards public accountability. In May 2026, the PGA Tour began publishing individual Average Stroke Time data for Korn Ferry Tour players. The information shows how quickly or slowly players perform overall. It breaks their timing down into off-the-tee, approach, around-the-green, and putting categories.
Adding to the suggestion, Mark Allen and Nick O’Hern also pitched in the names of some professionals who would be good at heckling others if the PGA Tour accepts this unconventional solution. They threw in names like Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Si Woo Kim, and Tom Kim. They also noted that while Tom Kim will be good at heckling others, he is himself a very slow player.
However, the problem with this solution is the disruption it causes during play. Although the PGA Tour needs stricter guidelines, slow decisions do not always lead to long rounds. Sometimes, golfers need time when they are very nervous and in a tough spot. In those moments, they may need a little more time to decide, and it shouldn’t be a big problem.
But sometimes golfers take unnecessary time. For instance, golfers and analysts like Lucas Glover and Jim Nantz have criticized putting methods like AimPoint for contributing to slow play. Many clips online show golfers using AimPoint even for very short putts.
While lengthy pre-shot routines can add to the frustration, the solution doesn’t have to involve turning every delayed shot into a public spectacle. The unconventional heckling idea from Talk Birdie to Me may have been made in jest, but it highlights a genuine need for the PGA Tour to find better ways to encourage faster play without compromising focus, fairness, or sportsmanship.