I asked GROK if any tour player has ever been penalized for slow play:
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Yes, players on the PGA Tour have been penalized for slow play during tournament play, though such penalties are rare. Here are the documented instances:
- Glen Day (1995 Honda Classic): Day was penalized one stroke during the third round for slow play, following complaints about the round taking over four hours. His score was adjusted from 71 to 72.
- Miguel Angel Carballo and Brian Campbell (2011 Zurich Classic): Both players received a one-stroke penalty on the 14th hole in this team event for exceeding their allotted time. Carballo went over on the 12th hole, and Campbell followed on the 14th.
- Jon Catlin (2021 PGA Championship): Catlin was assessed a one-stroke penalty after taking 63 seconds for his second shot on the third hole (his 12th), following a warning on the 16th hole (his 7th).
Additionally, the PGA TOUR Americas implemented a stricter Pace of Play policy in 2025, resulting in:
- Hunter Wolcott (2025 Diners Club Peru Open): Wolcott received a one-stroke penalty on his 16th hole (the seventh at Los Inkas Golf Club) during the second round for taking 58 seconds to putt, exceeding the 40-second limit (plus 10 seconds as the second player to play). He still tied for the lead and later won the event.
These are the only reported slow-play penalties on the PGA Tour since 1995, with just three players penalized in that timeframe (Day, Carballo, Campbell; Catlin’s penalty was at a major, not a regular Tour event). The PGA Tour has faced criticism for infrequent enforcement, with fines (e.g., $50,000 after 10 timed violations, $5,000 thereafter) being more common than stroke penalties. New rules in 2020 and 2025 aim to address this by targeting individual players and increasing penalties, but stroke penalties remain uncommon. |
