The PGA Tour is standing on the brink of a transformation that could change the very fabric of professional golf—and not everyone is happy about it. With the 2026 season looming, the Tour, led by CEO Jay Monahan, has unveiled a host of proposals that have the golf world talking. These changes include overhauls to FedExCup points, cuts to field sizes, and, in a surprising twist, massive reductions in fines for slow play. As a result, fans are calling for Monahan’s resignation, accusing him of steering the sport in a direction few could have foreseen.
Among the most controversial aspects? The PGA Tour’s move to slash penalties for slow play. Under the new proposal, fines for “Bad Times” would drop from $50,000 to just $10,000, while “excessive shot times” would see penalties cut in half to $5,000. Yet, Monahan’s team claims these changes are part of a broader plan to speed up the pace of play—an explanation that has struck many as, well, absurd.
Lucas Glover, the outspoken 2009 U.S. Open champion, isn’t buying it. In a fiery interview on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio, the 44-year-old took aim at the Tour’s new policy, condemning it as a misguided attempt to improve speed at the expense of competitiveness. “Tour players, yes, you do affect the people you are playing with and the people behind you. That’s a selfish act. So, speed up,” he declared, frustrated by what he views as a shortsighted and unnecessary measure.
But Glover didn’t stop there. In a searing rebuke, he accused the Tour of hiding behind “the guise of slow play” to push through these field reductions, calling the move “complete crap.” Reducing the field size from 156 to 144, Glover argued, won’t magically make players move faster, and with the fines cut, there’s even less incentive to pick up the pace.
The frustration doesn’t end with Glover. Golfing elites like Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, and Akshay Bhatia have also faced heat in recent years for slow play. Yet instead of addressing individual culprits, Monahan’s sweeping policy changes seem to target the entire Tour, much to the dismay of traditionalists who see it as tampering with the game’s core.
Glover has a straightforward answer to all this “drama”—and it’s one that’s sure to resonate with golf purists. Rather than reducing field sizes or slashing fines, he suggests enforcing stricter policies that would hold players accountable without compromising the Tour’s competitive integrity. In his own words, “If you’re going to have a complaint, have an answer. Alright, I’ve got you an answer.” His message to the PGA? There’s a better way.
As the clock ticks down to 2026, the golf world is waiting to see if Monahan will stick to his guns or bow to the pressure from fans and pros alike. One thing’s for sure: the PGA Tour is facing a pivotal moment, and the next steps could determine its legacy for decades to come.
