Why are rangefinders allowed at the PGA Championship?

You might spot a few players and caddies using distance-measuring devices when “golf’s strongest field” lines up for the second men’s major of the season. So why are rangefinders allowed at the PGA Championship?

The PGA of America announced the surprise policy ahead of the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island – and that would also be implemented in all tournaments run by the governing body, including the Women’s PGA Championship and Senior PGA Championship. However, while this was a surprise four years ago, nowadays, rangefinders are more of a common sight on the PGA Tour.

The six tournaments between the Masters and the PGA Championship have been used as something of a rangefinder experiment, to see if the devices speed up play.

The devices, though, will need to conform to the Rules of Golf, specifically Rule 4.3a (1), which pertains to ‘Distance and Directional Information’.

It includes the following conditions:

Allowed – Getting information on distance or direction (such as from a distance-measuring device or compass).

Not Allowed – Measuring elevation changes, or interpreting distance or directional information (such as using a device to get a recommended line of play or club selection based on the location of the player’s ball).

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That was a rule set that Davis Riley found out about the hard way. Riley, who was competing at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas, self reported a penalty on himself, as he used his rangefinder with slope turned on. Riley was assessed a two-shot penalty for the offence.

Why are rangefinders allowed at the PGA Championship?

The governing body explained back in 2021 that the decision had been taken with a view to combatting slow play.

“We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our championships,” PGA of America president Jim Richerson explained at the time.

“The use of distance-measuring devices is already common within the game and is now a part of the Rules of Golf. Players and caddies have long used them during practice rounds to gather relevant yardages.”

A similar approach has been taken in events in this year’s PGA Tour circuit. It’s hoped that, particularly where a player is off the fairway and away from yardage markers, a rangefinder will allow them to get an accurate yardage faster. In a trial by the Korn Ferry Tour, there wasn’t huge progress made in pace of play, although anecdotally, shots were played quicker when a player was out of position.

At Quail Hollow, we’ll see caddies getting an exact yardage at the press of a button.

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