How many warnings PGA Tour players are allowed per year before being issued with a ‘big fine’ for slow play

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Unfortunately, slow play has become a prominent issue since the 2025 PGA Tour season started at The Sentry.

Of course, pace-of-play has been a long-standing problem for the PGA Tour, but incidents in recent weeks have not helped in the slightest.

The American Express was excruciatingly slow at times, and Sepp Straka’s final group were stranded on one hole for over 30 minutes.

And during last weekend’s Farmers Insurance Open, it took over three hours for nine holes to be completed. Calls for harsher punishments have now emerged, as has the idea of a shot clock, a concept which has worked well in the TGL.

Michael Kim explains current slow play rules on the PGA Tour

Only three players have been sanctioned for slow play on the PGA Tour since 1995. Each time, shot penalties were handed out.

Michael Kim, who has played regularly in 2025, has now explained that PGA Tour stars only get close to a “big fine” once they near a tenth offence of the season.

“When slow players get close to that 10th timing, which results in a big fine, especially if you’re a repeat offender, players start playing faster,” Kim wrote on X.

“Just because we make a lot of money doesn’t mean that the fine doesn’t hurt. It actually is a real deterrent for most everyone out there.”

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What is the PGA Tour doing to stop slow play?

Thankfully, with slow play dominating the headlines, the PGA Tour has confirmed it’s finally taking a stand.

On Wednesday, the Tour confirmed that tests would be conducted to allow players to use distance-measuring equipment. Currently, caddies and players must calculate their numbers using a yardage book, which can be time-consuming.

Furthermore, the PGA Tour is considering sharing the average stroke time for each player and publicly announcing fines. This could be a good way to deter slow play.

Finally, the PGA Tour’s decision to reduce field sizes could positively impact the pace of play. However, it remains to be seen whether the decision will actually work.