ShotLink And Timing Players

Doug Ferguson dropped a tantalizing Tweet over the weekend and now he files a story fleshing out the PGA Tour's ability to track player pace via ShotLink. Information that is given to players, but not us lowly inkslingers.

The timing is not scientific, but it has shown to provide an accurate snapshot.

Unlike an official timing when a player is out of position, the volunteer entering the Shotlink data hits the button as soon as the first player in the group hits a shot. The next player is "timed" until he hits his shot. That doesn't account for waiting for the previous player to pick up his tee and move to the side, or any other delays.

The first player to hit in each group is not timed. The tour throws out the top 10 percent of fastest times and top 10 percent of the slowest times. Also thrown out is whenever a player requires a ruling or has to take a drop.

And this is great...but why oh why won't the tour share this on PGATour.com? Think of the traffic boost! It's all about uniques!

Because the Shotlink data can process so much information, players can even find out where they are slow. The system studies how long it takes players to hit off the tee, from the fairway, when they go for a par 5 in two, when they lay up on a par 5, around the green and putting.

"We can go to a player and show, for example, that he's good everywhere from tee to green, but once he gets on the green he slows down," Pazder said. "It's turned into a pretty good resource."

Can anyone think of a reason why this information should not be shared with fans?