Augusta National is doing what every frustrated golf fan has been begging for. The Masters' hosting club just released a pace-of-play initiative that could fundamentally alter professional golf.

However, the rule wouldn't favor the slower players, like Patrick Cantlay. Over the years, Cantlay has earned the reputation of the PGA Tour's slowest player. His over-analysed pre-shot routines and Sluggish decision-making have become legendary for all the wrong reasons.

On January 27, Augusta National introduced "a pace-of-play bonus for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals." From the 2026 Masters, the players who complete shots in 40 seconds or less will earn half a bonus point per shot, totalling three points for a full six-shot performance. According to the official statement, "This initiative aims to reinforce the pace of play as an essential skill in golf."

The CBS reporter Dottie Pepper had called out "the sluggish pace on the PGA Tour" during the live coverage last year. Now that Masters Chairman Fred Ridley has made pace of play a centrepiece, Pepper may not have much to complain about.

Augusta is sending a clear message to players like Cantlay: Enough is enough. This initiative honours the legacy of Augusta co-founder Bobby Jones, the legendary amateur who believed in playing quickly.

Jones rarely second-guessed shots. The complete opposite of Cantlay's methodical, time-consuming approach that has frustrated galleries and television audiences worldwide.

Augusta National Chairman Takes Aim at Golf's Slow Play Crisis

Ridley didn't mince words while talking about how the sluggish pace of some players takes an overall toll on the sport. He stated that "respecting other people's time and more importantly, the fans who support the game, is a fundamental courtesy."

The chairman has made slow play a top priority, acknowledging that while the issue has "been around forever." Today's glacial pace has become "offensive" to viewers and damaging to the sport's appeal.

The 80 finalists at the Drive, Chip, and Putt Championships will be the first to feel the impact of this new system in April. Each competitor takes only six shots: two drives, two chips, and two putts.

Augusta’s decision could mark a real turning point for professional golf. Anna Davis was handed a one-shot penalty for slow play at the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and 14-year-old Guan Tianlang famously received the same punishment at the 2013 Masters.

The message couldn’t be clearer: nobody gets a free pass at Augusta, regardless of age, reputation, or resume, and that includes multi-time PGA Tour winners like Cantlay.

So, do you think Cantlay will actually face the consequences of this rule at the 2026 Masters?

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Souvik Roy