The R&A to Crack Down on Slow Play at Amateur Championship

Two new measures have been put in place to speed up the amateur game

Slow play
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Two new measures have been introduced by the R&A to avoid slow play ahead of this week's Amateur Championship in Wales.

The R&A to Crack Down on Slow Play at Amateur Championship

The R&A has introduced two new measures to its Pace of Play Condition ahead of The Amateur Championship being played at Royal Porthcawl and Pyle & Kenfig in Wales this week.

The measures will address two particular situations that can arise during championship play:

1) Groups being considered to be out of position even if they are playing within the time allowed

2) The timing of individual players who are playing at an unduly slow pace and are only being kept in position by other members of their group who are playing at a quicker pace.

The R&A is introducing the new measures for its 2016 season of amateur events and international matches and they come into force this week.

The first measure is a change to the definition of “Out of Position”, which will now enable groups that are more than the starting interval behind the group in front to be timed, even if they have not exceeded the allotted time for number of holes completed.

The second measure is the addition of a new clause, “Random Timing Without Warning When Group Not Out of Position”, for situations where an individual player may be timed without warning, including when a group is not out of position, for playing at an overly slow pace.

Players will be fully briefed on these changes ahead of the events.

David Rickman, Executive Director – Rules and Equipment Standards at The R&A, said, “The two new measures are part of The R&A’s continuing efforts to improve pace of play at our amateur championships and international matches.

“It is now possible for us to address instances where a particular group has fallen behind, and is playing considerably slower than those groups ahead of them, but is still under the schedule. The Committee will now have authority to time these groups and encourage a quicker pace of play.

“Players also have a responsibility for playing at a good pace, not just when they are out of position and being timed. We will now be able to intervene in situations where a player is only being kept in position as a result of the quick pace of play from others in their group.”

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV