With this week’s Shot Clock Masters on the European Tour breaking new ground and utilising a shot clock in Austria, here’s a comprehensive guide to the format and exactly how it will all work…
FORMAT:
• 72 holes stroke play with a cut after two rounds to the leading 65 professionals and ties and a cut after 3 rounds to achieve a maximum field size of 60 players for the final round.
• Each group will be accompanied by a referee who will time every shot (wherever possible) played by each player in each 18-hole round.
• The Official European Tour shot time allowances will be in force:
- 50 second allowance for a “first to play approach shot (including par 3 tee shot), chip or putt.
- 40 second allowance for a tee shot on a par 4 or par 5, or second or third to play approach shot, chip or putt.
• On each occasion that a player fails to hit his shot within the above time limits, he will incur a “bad time” resulting in a one shot penalty being added to his score for the hole in question.
• Each player can call for a “time-extension” up to twice in any one round. This time-out can be called either before the clock commences or at any time during the countdown to zero. This will allow the player a further 40 seconds over and above the above allowances to play the shot in question (once the clock goes beyond zero any time extensions won’t be permitted).
• In the event of a play-off each player involved will be allowed one further time-extension for each 9 holes of the play-off.
PLEASE NOTE: All timings and related penalties are only applicable to this event and not to the season long pace of play regulations.
