Padraig Harrington thinks rangefinders should be permitted in all tournaments after using one in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill and last week’s Senior PGA Championship.
The devices are not permitted on the PGA Tour or any of the other three men’s Majors, but the PGA of America changed its rules in 2021 to allow them in its three showpiece tournaments – the men's, women's and senior PGA Championships.
Improving the "flow of play" was one of the reasons given for the PGA of America’s rule change to accommodate rangefinders in its Majors, and, according to Harrington, they did their job.
The 51-year-old wrote on Twitter: “After using a range finder for the last 2 weeks @PGAChampionship and @seniorpgachamp, I’ve come round to believing that we should use them in all tournaments. They really help with pace of play when players are out of position with an awkward yardage. @DPWorldTour @PGATOUR.”
After using a range finder for the last 2 weeks @PGAChampionship and @seniorpgachamp, I’ve come round to believing that we should use them in all tournaments. They really help with pace of play when players are out of position with an awkward yardage. @DPWorldTour @PGATOUR pic.twitter.com/QNwYB0uMfJMay 29, 2023
Rangefinders help users get quick and accurate yardages. While caddies still tend to rely more on their own yardage books, thanks to the rule change, they were used considerably during the PGA Championship and last week’s event, suggesting there is an appetite to embrace the technology.
The pace of play is a contentious – and ongoing – issue, which tends to resurface several times a year. Most recently, the subject came back to the forefront during April’s Masters at Augusta National, with Patrick Cantlay coming in for particular criticism. During the final round, Koepka said the group in front, which included Cantlay, had been “brutally slow”. Then, before his PGA Championship win, Koepka called for slow play penalties to be imposed.
While rangefinders may not solve the issue, according to Harrington, they could certainly go some way to addressing slow play given the speed with which they calculate yardages.
Harrington finished runner-up to Steve Sticker in last week’s event at Fields Ranch East in Texas, where he also attracted praise for buying a fan dinner after his wayward tee shot hit a fan on the head.
