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A18 SPORTS
Thursday 16 January 2020
European, PGA Tour

take steps to single

out slow players

By DOUG FERGUSON ShotLink data shows they
AP Golf Writer take an average of 45 sec-
The European Tour and onds or more to play a shot
PGA Tour are trying to based on their previous 10
crack down on slow play tournaments. A player who
with revamped policies receives two excessive shot
that allow for swifter pen- times in one tournament
alty shots and for officials to also will be placed on the
target players who are tak- list, which is updated week-
ing too long to play. ly. If an official sees a player
The policies, while slightly on the list take 60 seconds
different, are similar in that or longer to play, he will be
the objective is to encour- notified he is being timed.
age players to change The timing only stops if the
their habits. player goes two holes with-
The European Tour policy out a bad time. A course worker clears standing water off the 18th green before Bo Hoag putts during the final
starts this week at the Abu The amount of time allowed round of the Sony Open PGA Tour golf event, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, at Waialae Country Club in
Dhabi HSBC Championship. to play hasn't changed — Honolulu.
The PGA Tour is introducing players have 40 seconds Associated Press
its policy, which was ap- to hit a shot when it's their bad time, and a one-shot this extension before they in a tournament instead
proved in November, this turn, with an additional 10 penalty if it happens again go over the allotted time. of a round will force slower
week at The American Ex- seconds for the player who during the tournament. Even when a group is in players to consistently en-
press. It does not begin until is first to hit a various shot. The fines also are steep. position, those players pre- sure they play within timing
the week after the Masters. The penalties, however are Players who receive a sec- viously were allowed 100 regulations," said John Par-
Previously, the PGA Tour did swift. ond bad time will be fined seconds if they were first amor, the chief referee for
not time a player unless his Previously, if a group was $50,000, and $20,000 for to hit, and 80 seconds for the European Tour.
group was out of position out of position, a player re- each additional bad time. the rest of the group. That Europe introduced a four-
or lagging behind a sched- ceived a warning if he had For those caught hav- time was reduced 15% un- point plan in August that
uled time for them to play, a bad time, and the sec- ing excessive shot times, der the new policy, allow- also involves field size. The
known as time par. That ond bad time in the same they get a $20,000 fine for ing players 85 seconds and field at fully sanctioned
stays in effect. round resulted in a one-shot the second violation, and 70 seconds, respectively. If events will be reduced from
Additionally, any player penalty. The last such pen- $20,000 for each one after a player exceeds the limit 156 to 144 players, provided
taking 120 seconds for a alty on the PGA Tour was that the rest of the season. while the group is in posi- that everyone who finished
shot, without a valid rea- assessed to Miguel Angel On the European Tour, tion, he would get a "moni- among the top 132 in the
son, will be given an "ex- Carballo and Brian Camp- players also will get a one- toring penalty." That typi- Race to Dubai are eligible
cessive shot time." bell, partners in the 2013 shot penalty after a second cally involves a fine instead for the tournament.
The tour also will have a Zurich Classic team event. bad time in a tournament, of a penalty because the PGA Tour officials had long
weekly "observation list" to Before that it was Glen Day instead of a round. group is not holding up believed that too many
identify the slow players. in 1985. A player can call a "time anyone. players in the field effective-
They can be timed even if Starting in April, players extension" for any stroke "Changing the regulation ly clogs up the golf course,
their group is in position on who are out of position or once a round, adding 40 for an immediate one-shot similar to a traffic jam on a
the golf course. on the observation list will seconds to the time al- penalty to now be trig- highway, and causes too
Players are put on the list if get a warning for the first lowed. Players must call for gered by two bad times much waiting.q
LSU probing Beckham’s apparent on-field payments to players

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU cash may have also been given with players in LSU's locker room
has contacted officials from the to LSU student-athletes," Bon- in the Superdome.
NCAA and Southeastern Confer- nette said in a statement. "We Jefferson, who just completed
ence about Cleveland Browns were in contact with the NCAA his junior season, is eligible to
receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s ap- and the SEC immediately upon turn pro and enter this spring's
parent cash payments to Tigers learning of this situation in which NFL draft.
players on the field after the na- some of our student-athletes LSU graduate transfer quarter-
tional championship game, a may have been placed in a back Joe Burrow, who has ex-
university spokesman said. compromising position. We are hausted his college eligibility
LSU athletics spokesman Mi- working with our student-ath- and is expected to be a top NFL
chael Bonnette said initial infor- letes, the NCAA and the SEC in draft choice this year, said on a
mation suggested that Beck- order to rectify the situation." Barstool Sports podcast that it
ham handed out "novelty bills" Beckham starred for LSU from appeared to him Beckham was
to players after the top-ranked 2011 to 2013 and was a first- handing out actual cash.
Tigers defeated Clemson on round draft pick by the New The NCAA does not allow play-
Monday night. However, further York Giants. He was traded to ers to receive cash benefits In this Dec. 28, 2019, file photo, LSU wide
investigation showed that Beck- Cleveland before last season. while playing college football. receiver Justin Jefferson (2) makes a
ham may have given away real Videos posted on social media Those rules are designed to pre- touchdown catch against Oklahoma
money, Bonnette said. showed Beckham placing mon- vent institutions from luring talent during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA
semifinal college football playoff game, in
"Information and footage re- ey in the hand of LSU receiver through the promise of direct or Atlanta.
viewed since shows apparent Justin Jefferson and celebrating indirect payments.q Associated Press