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Shot Clock Masters: The European Tour’s response to slow play

By Mike Randleman

ATZENBRUGG, AUSTRIA - JUNE 06: A referee tests the 'Shot Clock' system during the Pro-Am of The 2018 Shot Clock Masters at Diamond Country Club on June 6, 2018 in Atzenbrugg, Austria. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
ATZENBRUGG, AUSTRIA - JUNE 06: A referee tests the 'Shot Clock' system during the Pro-Am of The 2018 Shot Clock Masters at Diamond Country Club on June 6, 2018 in Atzenbrugg, Austria. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) /
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The inaugural Shot Clock Masters on the European Tour aims to nip slow play in the bud

Sick of players being “put on the clock” when, in reality, you know there’s not actually ever going to be a penalty for slow play? Well, the European Tour’s Shot Clock Masters is the tournament for you.

The inaugural event is standard in that it is an individual stroke play event with the field cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes. The field will be cut down to 60 after the third round.

I’m burying the lede here. A referee will accompany each group and will time each shot. The European Tour shot time allowances will be fully enforced.

A player has 50 seconds if he is the first to play an approach shot, par-3 tee shot, chip or putt.

A player has 40 seconds for a par-4 or par-5 tee shot or if he is the second or third to play an approach shot, chip or putt.

No warnings will be given for a bad time. Every bad time results in a one-shot penalty.

A caveat is that every player is allowed up to two time extensions per round which allow an additional 40 seconds to play the shot. It will certainly be interesting to see strategy on when and where to use these extensions.

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Conventional wisdom would say that a player may wait until the back nine to exhaust these, but maybe an early one in the round can keep things from going off the rails on a tough shot.

If the tournament goes to a playoff, each golfer is granted one time extension per nine holes.

This event was previously known as the Lyoness Open and has been held at Diamond CC in Alzenbrugg, Austria, near Vienna, since 2010. The event dates back to 1990.

Who’s playing?

It would be great to see notoriously slow players like Zach Johnson, Ben Crane, Patrick Cantlay, et. al to give it a whirl here. In reality, the field ranks pretty lowly even by European Tour standards.

With the U.S. Open next week and established professionals perhaps a little wary to try out this new format, it’s understandable that this event has room to grow.

Making their way to the Shot Clock Masters in Alzenbrugg, Austria, near Vienna, include European Tour winners Wade Ormsby, Nicolas Colsaerts, Soren Kjeldsen and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Next: U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying results and analysis

The event will be broadcast in the U.S. from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday. All times are Eastern.

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