Will Rangefinders Significantly Help The PGA Tour's Slow Play Issue? Scottie Scheffler Says No, But He Knows What Will...

Over the next four weeks, rangefinders are being allowed in PGA Tour events in a bid to try and speed up the slow-play issue which is blighting the game at the professional level.

The problem had been bubbling under the surface for months, if not years, before finally coming to a head earlier this season when CBS reporter, Dottie Pepper stated at the Farmers Insurance Open that "it has to get better" due to the lack of respect slow play shows fans, sponsors and broadcasters.

In response, the PGA Tour proposed a handful of ideas - including allowing rangefinders, publishing player data on round times, and stricter penalties for those guilty of slow-play offences.

However, defending RBC Heritage champion, Scottie Scheffler, believes the rangefinder initiative will make little to no real difference on the amount of time it takes pro golfers to complete a full round.

Instead, the World No.1 believes tournaments operating two-ball groups throughout the whole week - just as will be the case at the season's fifth Signature Event - is the most obvious and helpful fix.

Scheffler said: "We've been using them at the PGA [Championship] the last couple years, haven't we? Is it going to help pace of play? Maybe a few minutes. Will it be anything significant? No.

"This tournament, what affects the pace of play is walking the golf course. I think we're playing twosomes all week, so it will go from a five hour round to maybe four hours or less. When you see the biggest changes in pace of play, it all comes from going from three guys to two guys in a pairing. It's just easier to get around the golf course.

"Also, the distance walking from green to tee is a big factor as well if you're going to save 15, 20 minutes off the round. This golf course is pretty simple in terms of getting around.

"I think the only way to have a significant impact on the pace of play, if you look at the average round time last week [at The Masters]... Thursday and Friday you're playing in threes, Saturday and Sunday you're playing in twos, there's going to be a significant difference, probably over an hour difference in pace of play."

Along with the general subject of money in golf, pace of play has been the other overriding topic posed to players in pre and post-round press conferences for quite a while now.

Scheffler explained that he understands why that is but suggested the guardians of the game could better spend their time encouraging more people to take up playing golf instead.

He continued: "The pace of play debate is funny. I think people want to watch exciting golf. I think that's what it's all about. Let's say if we do all these changes and we save 20 minutes off of a round of golf. Is somebody going to sit down on the couch on Sunday and go, 'well, I didn't have five hours to watch a round of golf, but I've got four hours and 40 minutes? Now I'm in.'

"I think, if we're going to spend a lot of time and energy, I think where I would want to spend it is get more people involved in the game of golf, more people able to come and play. It's a great game. It's a great sport. You learn a lot of life lessons playing golf.

"What's most important for me as a player, where I want to spend the most time and energy specifically in the game of golf is getting people involved. I've met some of my best friends in the whole world playing the game of golf. It's a really special game that I think more people should want to play."