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sports Friday 31 January 2025
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PGA Tour contemplates announcing fines as part of study into slow

play

By DOUG FERGUSON ers the yardages quicker.
AP Golf Writer Gary Young, the senior vice
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) president of rules and com-
— The PGA Tour is taking a petition, said the sample
hard look at whether to al- tests could be at signatures
low rangefinders and pub- events that have smaller
licize violations as part of fields, or perhaps a tourna-
a comprehensive study on ment like the Zurich Classic
pace of play and other en- that features team compe-
hancements to the game tition.
that have come out of a The potential of disclosing
survey of 50,000 golf fans. violations would be a break
Tour officials were pur- from PGA Tour tradition. The
posely short on specifics tour is different from most
Wednesday during a meet- other sports leagues in that
ing with reporters on the it has never disclosed fines,
“Fan Forward” initiative disciplinary action or viola-
that Commissioner Jay Mo- tions that relate to pace of
nahan announced a year play.
ago. He is expected to go The tour long felt that
into greater detail at The would be little more than a
Players Championship in distraction.
March. What it heard from fans
But the preview session at Harris English celebrates after winning the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey was a need for more trans-
Pebble Beach supported Pines Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in San Diego. parency.
Monahan’s message late Associated Press “I think there’s a real mo-
last year that “everything investment of Strategic larger bases to encourage and Adam Schenk who ment now for that all to be
is on the table” as the PGA Sports Group, which put more stealing. likely would pass their find- looked at,” PGA Tour Presi-
Tour embarks on a series of $1.5 billion into PGA Tour The shot clock has been ings to the Players Advi- dent Tyler Dennis said.
changes. Enterprise with the poten- mentioned to help improve sory Council, a 16-member Weitz said the discussion
“I think as we roll the clock tial to double the amount. pace of play on tour, and panel that has been more has met with little resis-
forward three, five, 10 years, Fenway Sports Group, a big the topic has gained mo- involved than ever. tance from players. He
we’re going to look back at part of SSG, has Theo Ep- mentum in recent weeks Rangefinders or distance had breakfast Wednesday
2025 as an inflection point stein as a senior advisor. Ep- when the final round of measuring devices cur- morning with Max Homa
in the evolution of the tour,” stein, former general man- threesomes has taken rently are allowed only at and said Homa told him,
said Andy Weitz, the tour’s ager of the Boston Red Sox about 5 1/2 hours to finish. the PGA Championship. “We want to hold each
chief marketing and com- and Chicago Cubs, worked Weitz said the tour formed The tour is trying to find a other accountable, and
munications officer. with Major League Baseball a study group a month ago spot in the schedule for we want to play in a way
He said part of that was on recent changes that in- with three players Sam a test run to see if it helps that is the best version of
capital growth from the clude a pitch clock and Burns, Jhonattan Vegas speed play by getting play- the fan experience.”q

Nashville bids for WNBA franchise with Candace Parker and

Peyton Manning among investors

By TERESA M. WALKER how women’s professional and honor Coach Sum- proud and honored to be Summitt said.
AP Sports Writer sports is emerging world- mitt’s legacy.” included in the expansion The team would play at
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — wide with a “void” Parker is a three-time WNBA of women’s professional Bridgestone Arena, home
The chairman of the NHL’s “We believe a WNBA team, champion and helped basketball into Tennessee,” to the NHL’s Predators.q
Nashville Predators and based in Nashville, could Summitt win two of her
his wife want to bring the serve as a beacon for girls eight national champion-
WNBA to Music City and and women, young and ships at the University of
have teamed up with a old, across Tennessee, Tennessee. Summitt died in
star-filled investor group in- while also creating more 2016 as the winningest Divi-
cluding Candace Parker, opportunities for sports fans sion I coach four years after
Pro Football Hall of Fame as our community contin- retiring following her diag-
quarterback Peyton Man- ues to grow,” Haslam said. nosis of early onset demen-
ning and entertainers Tim The Nashville bid also fea- tia, Alzheimer’s type.
McGraw and Faith Hill. tures a plan to build a prac- A Tennessee native, Sum-
The group led by Bill Haslam, tice facility for the WNBA mitt coached the Lady
a former Tennessee gov- team that also would be Vols for 38 years and had
ernor, submitted its bid to used for youth basketball. a career record of 1,098-
the WNBA on Thursday for “Tennessee is the DNA of 208 in 38 seasons, plus 18
a franchise that would start everything women’s bas- NCAA Final Four appear-
playing in 2028. The team ketball stands for,” Parker ances. Her son, Tyler, noted In this Jan. 28, 2013, file photo, former Tennessee women’s
also would be named said in a statement. “I’m his mother was a huge ad- basketball coach Pat Summitt smiles as a banner is raised in
the Tennessee Summitt in excited to be a part of the vocate for women’s sports her honor before the team’s NCAA college basketball game
honor of the late Pat Sum- group working to bring a and women in leadership. against Notre Dame in Knoxville, Tenn.
mitt. Haslam said they see WNBA team to the state “I know she would be Associated Press