PGA Tour Pro Calls Out Schedule Hypocrisy From Certain Players In Open Letter To Membership

Less than a fortnight after Justin Thomas contacted each PGA Tour member asking them to increase their engagement with TV broadcasts, Charley Hoffman has written his own letter to players calling for several more alterations to the top US circuit.

In a wide-ranging message which was shared by Golf.com's Sean Zak on X, the 20-year veteran touched on a number of subjects - including pace of play, the execution of the Aon Swing 5 and a perceived lack of commitment to the PGA Tour.

It was the final subject which raised the most eyebrows, with Hoffman seemingly calling out a finite group of players who he said have stated they wish to play fewer events but "still find time" to compete in "other non-PGA Tour events."

Hoffman mentioned those who take part in TGL - which only features 24 players at most - plus the DP World Tour's Race To Dubai competitors in his unfavorable comments.

Towards the end of his post, the long-time PAC member said: “Here’s something else to think about. If we truly care about strengthening our Tour, we should be supporting as many PGA Tour events as we can.

"Many of you keep saying you want to play fewer events, yet you still find time for TGL, Race to Dubai, and other non-PGA Tour events, and that’s going to continue regardless of field size.

“The best competition happens when the best players go head-to-head in a deep, competitive field — not in small, limited-entry events that leave deserving players on the outside looking in.

"This Tour was built on open competition, where anyone with the game to compete has a chance to prove it against the best. That’s what has made our Tour special for generations, and we need to keep pushing for that.

"At the end of the year, only 100 of us will keep our cards. We all start the season at zero in the FedEx Cup Point standings, and every single one of us has the chance to be the FedEx Cup champion. Let's come together, put on a great show for our fans by giving them the strongest competitions, and keep the PGA Tour moving in the right direction."

It was this subject of the letter that Rory McIlroy said he felt was "pointed" towards him.

At the start of his letter, the 48-year-old touched on arguably the most talked about topic in the sport right now - pace of play.

Hoffman admitted that slow play on tour is "an issue" and acknowledged the "heat" he and his fellow pros have taken "over the past few weeks" - particularly by CBS reporter Dottie Pepper.

He went on to say that while the problem has been evident throughout his 20 years on tour "and it was an issue 20 years before that," everyone involved today must do better in turning the issue around.

Hoffman said: “We’ve taken a lot of heat over the past few weeks about slow play. And yeah, it’s an issue - for our fans, for us as players - cutting down field sizes will help, but only by a few minutes a day.

"As players, we still need to make a concerted effort to speed up. Pace of play has been a challenge my entire 20 years on Tour, and it was an issue 20 years before that.

"Golf is a tough game, and when conditions get extreme, it takes time to play it the right way. We all need to take responsibility to be ready when it’s our turn to play and having the awareness to realize that we are out of position and speed up even before the rules official shows up. We do it all the time, we just need to be more aware of it!”

The San Diego-born golfer, who has won four times on the PGA Tour throughout his career, went on to agree with Thomas about players becoming more involved with TV broadcasts in order to boost fan engagement before turning his attention to the Aon Swing 5 - an initiative which, in theory, should see five of the most in-form non-exempt players earn starts into the subsequent Signature Event.

Hoffman said that the idea behind the Aon Swing 5 is great but it needs to be monitored to ensure enough unique playing opportunities are being created - something he did not believe occurred at Pebble Beach last week.

He said: "I also want to touch on the Aon Swing 5. The idea behind this is great! Giving more guys opportunities to play their way into the Signature Events. But, like anything new, we need to make sure it's working as intended.

"This year, at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, only two players got into the field from this category before the deadline, and three of the alternates also qualified via the Aon Swing 5. So, in my mind, we only got two new unique playing opportunities for our members.

"As a PAC member, we will be sure to continue monitoring this to make sure these initiatives help the guys they're meant to."