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Morning Edition

April 17, 2025

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Golf has a pace problem, with some tournament rounds lasting more than five hours. The PGA Tour has looked to baseball for inspiration on a solution, and you can see it over the next four weeks.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

PGA Tour Will Emulate MLB Pitch Clock in Push to Speed Up Golf [[link removed]]

Florida Times-Union

The PGA Tour is becoming the latest major sports league to turn to technology for help in modernizing and speeding up its on-course product.

With Major League Baseball seeing fantastic results from the implementation of the pitch clock in 2023, the PGA Tour is testing the use of distance-measuring devices (commonly known as rangefinders) at six events over a four-week period beginning Thursday at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head and at the Corales Puntacana Championship.

Like baseball, professional golf has long struggled with its pace of play, often resulting in five-plus-hour rounds during tournaments—well above the standard four hours expected for playing 18 holes. During the first season of TGL, the indoor golf league co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, players praised the shot clock [[link removed]], which was new for a major golf competition.

MLB saw its average game time drop by four minutes last year with the pitch clock, after dropping by 24 minutes in 2023, the first year of implementation. The 2024 regular season average game time was two hours, 36 minutes— the league’s lowest figure since 1984 [[link removed]].

The PGA Tour does not release specific data around pace of play, although that could change in the future. While the use of rangefinders is welcomed by many, it is not expected to have the same drastic impact that the pitch clock has had on baseball.

Brett Phelps / IndyStar Cost of Doing Business

On the second-tier Korn Kerry Tour, players over the next three events will be assessed a one-stroke penalty for their first “bad time,” which occurs when a player exceeds the applicable time to play a stroke while being timed. Previously, a one-stroke penalty was not applied until a player was assessed a second “bad time.”

Similar to how MLB tested the pitch clock and other changes in the minor league before implementing them into the majors, the stroking policy could eventually make its way to the PGA Tour.

That’s key because every stroke a player loses could mean missing the cut—and not getting paid at all for that tournament—or dropping a spot in the final standings, which can result in tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.

After the testing period ends for all of the above changes, a deep dive into the data could result in the PGA Tour implementing a new pace of play policy as early as 2026.

SPONSORED BY KAISER PERMANENTE

Exploring a State-of-the-Art Training Center

Front Office Sports’s Stadium Status [[link removed]], hosted by Derryl Barnes, takes you inside the Kaiser Permanente Training Center at Intuit Dome, alongside Clippers stars Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac as well as Kaiser Permanente’s Clippers team physician Dr. Bryan Wiley. This episode highlights the groundbreaking partnership between the L.A. Clippers and Kaiser Permanente, showcasing their cutting-edge training center within the new Intuit Dome.

With a commitment to peak performance and player well-being, this state-of-the-art facility integrates advanced sports medicine and training technology, ensuring the Clippers stay at the top of their game. Tune in to see how this collaboration is redefining athlete care, revolutionizing sports science and how the Los Angeles community has access to quality care.

Watch now and get an exclusive look at the future of sports performance. [[link removed]]

Leafs vs. Senators: Old Guard Meets New Money in Battle of Ontario [[link removed]]

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The National Hockey League’s Battle of Ontario has been revived after an absence of more than two decades, and new Senators owner Michael Andlauer is getting actively involved in the playoff battle against the provincial rival Maple Leafs.

Toronto clinched the Atlantic Division title Tuesday at the Sabres’ troubled KeyBank Center [[link removed]], marking its first full-season division championship in 25 years, setting up a first-round playoff matchup against the neighboring Senators. The two clubs met in the postseason four times between 2000 and 2004, with the Maple Leafs winning each time, but not since then.

Andlauer, who paid $950 million for the Senators [[link removed]] in late 2023 in a league record that has since been broken [[link removed]], vowed a very different outcome for what Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz was set to be “a bloodbath.”

“I know we’ve had hard luck in the Battle of Ontario, but they’ve got a new owner right now,” Andlauer said about the Senators on Canada’s TSN [[link removed]].

Bigger Themes

The Maple Leafs-Senators matchup, while potentially something of an undercard battle for U.S. viewers in a significantly reshaped NHL playoffs [[link removed]], has immediately become a dominant storyline in Canada. It also highlights a stark David-and-Goliath dynamic between the two clubs. Toronto is an Original Six NHL franchise, and despite not having a Stanley Cup title since 1967, remains one of the most popular and valuable sports teams in the world, and is set to be a foundational holding of the expanding Rogers Communications sports portfolio [[link removed]].

The Senators, conversely, joined the league in 1992 as an expansion franchise, are back in the playoffs after an eight-year absence, and are still fighting for prominence—particularly against much larger NHL neighbors in both Toronto and Montreal.

Andlauer, meanwhile, insisted that Senators home games against the Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre will not be overrun by Toronto fans, in part due to planned presales to a still-expanding base of season-ticket holders.

“By the time it comes out to the public, it’s probably going to be 2,500-3,000 [available] seats. We can handle that, for sure,” Andlauer said.

The provincial battle also has become a new rallying cry for the Senators after the club announced in January plans to play preseason games this fall in Quebec City [[link removed]], angering local fans in the process.

Fox, Bayless In Settlement Talks for Harassment Lawsuit

Fox Sports has been in mediation with former network hairstylist Noushin Faraji for a possible settlement over her lawsuit on 14 counts against the network, executive Charlie Dixon, former host Skip Bayless, and current host Joy Taylor.

According to court documents obtained by Front Office Sports, Faraji’s attorneys and Fox’s attorneys mediated the matter on March 10.

You can read the full story by Michael McCarthy and Ryan Glasspiegel here [[link removed]].

For all of our sports media news, insights, and interviews, subscribe to the twice-weekly Tuned In newsletter [[link removed]].

CFB’s Record Transfer Portal Surge Hits 3,200 (and Counting) [[link removed]]

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

College football’s spring transfer portal window opened Wednesday, and the numbers are staggering.

While the NCAA doesn’t publicly release how many players enter the portal, at least 3,200 names were in the system [[link removed]] Wednesday afternoon, according to On3, and that number was growing by the hour. ESPN reported that more than 2,600 of those in the portal Wednesday were FBS scholarship players [[link removed]].

This transfer portal window closes on April 25, so there is still plenty of time for more players to enter and search for a new team.

It’s a perfect example of the adage—which is a source of frustration for many fans, coaches, and pundits—that in today’s college sports landscape, every player is a free agent every year.

In December, the winter transfer portal saw record movement on its opening day [[link removed]] and concluded with some record NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals [[link removed]] for top quarterbacks who switch schools, most notably Darian Mensah, who left Tulane to sign with Duke and receive a two-year, $8 million pact.

This week, the big story has been around former Tennessee signal caller Nico Iamaleava, who has entered the portal after a messy divorce with the Volunteers. Multiple reports suggested Iamaleava was seeking more NIL money from Tennessee, although a family friend refuted those claims [[link removed]] to Front Office Sports.

Carolina Blues

While spring practices are already underway, and in some cases over, for many top programs, adding players now can still boost rosters for the fall—if the price is right.

One school in desperate need of more talent is North Carolina, which hired Bill Belichick as its new coach after the winter transfer portal had already opened. With more time to prepare for the spring window, the Tar Heels were expected to be a major factor in the portal.

However, UNC has “ offered considerably less [[link removed]]” money than other programs in the mix for some top players, sources told CBS Sports. That includes starting-caliber offensive linemen, who can reportedly command upwards of $500,000.

Belichick’s contract stipulates that $13 million in annual revenue sharing be dedicated to the football team [[link removed]], and UNC reportedly agreed to increase its NIL budget [[link removed]] from roughly $4 million to around $20 million.

ONE BIG FIG Ticket Surge

The Indianapolis Star

$511

The get-in price, or lowest resale ticket rate, for a two-day ticket to WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, according to SeatGeek. The value is a 109% increase from last year’s WrestleMania, held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. That event saw a total of 145,298 fans attend.

The average ticket price for this year’s spectacle is $1,694, a 57% increase from last year.

Fans can also purchase tickets for just one day of the weekend. The Saturday get-in ticket costs $168, up 51% from last year, while the lowest ticket available for Sunday is $238, a 114% increase from last year.

The main event Saturday features a triple-threat match between Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins, while the Sunday main event pits undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes against John Cena, who is in the middle of his retirement tour.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS HONORS

Rising 25 Nominations Are Here

Rising 25 [[link removed]] is back and it’s time to nominate an up-and-coming young professional changing the game in the business of sports.

The Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award celebrates the careers of the brightest young stars in the business of sports. To date, we’ve honored 200 individuals and we’re looking for our next group of young stars.

Know someone who deserves to be recognized? Nominate them now [[link removed]].

Nominations are open through June 22. Prices increase after May 25.

Editors’ Picks Trump DOJ Sues Maine in Fight Over Trans Athletes [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Maine refuses to comply with Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes. Top French Soccer League in Dire Straits Due to Dead Broadcast Deal [[link removed]]by Ben Horney [[link removed]]As part of the deal with Ligue 1, DAZN was supposed to pay about $455 million a year. Travel Agent Pleads Guilty To Scamming George Mason Men’s Basketball [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The man admitted to running a college sports Ponzi scheme. Question of the Day

Does golf need to speed up the pace of play?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Wednesday’s result: 42% of respondents said they plan to watch about the same amount of this year’s NBA postseason as last year, while 31% said they’ll watch more, and 27% said they’ll watch less.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]]

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