CBS Golf analyst Dottie Pepper voices frustrations with PGA Tour pace of play

Saturday’s broadcast of the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open on CBS featured a tight finish that came down to the final hole. Unfortunately, it also featured an incredibly slow pace of play from the final group, which CBS on-course reporter Dottie Pepper openly voiced her frustration about.

Pepper, who has an extensive background both as a broadcaster and as a player on the LPGA Tour from 1988 to 2004, understands that some circumstances out of players’ control can sometimes lead to a slow pace of play on the course.

However, the final group of Harris English, Andrew Novak, and Aldrich Potgieter took things to an entirely different level on Sunday.

By the time the three-man pairing got to hole No. 10, they had taken they were three hours into their round. Moments after they each hit their tee shots on the hole, Pepper openly criticized the pace of play issue on the PGA Tour.

“You know, Frank, I think we’re starting to need a new word to talk about this pace of play issue, and it’s respect,” Pepper said on the broadcast after Harris English’s tee shot on the hole. “For your fellow competitors, for the fans, for broadcasts, for all of it. It’s just gotta get better.”

.@Dottie_pepper PREACH 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/BebcTDyHP7

— Joseph LaMagna (@JosephLaMagna) January 25, 2025

Frank Nobilo, who Pepper was speaking to along with those listening on the CBS broadcast, concurred that something does indeed need to be done to speed up the pace of play.

“Well said,” Nobilo responded.

Pepper’s complaint goes far further than just the Farmers Insurance Open this weekend. Last week’s PGA Tour tournament, The American Express, extended 40 minutes beyond the TV window on NBC.

The winner of the tournament, Sepp Straka, took five hours and 39 minutes to conclude his final round in the final group, which is around the same time the final group ended up taking this week, clocking in at five hours and 45 minutes on the round.

As Pepper alluded to, the slow pace of play certainly shows a lack of respect for fellow players and for those tuning into the broadcast at home.

But perhaps those who may be most negatively affected by the pace of play issues are the broadcasters on the course like Pepper. Especially when they have to brace colder and windier conditions as she did on Saturday.

As for how the PGA Tour could help fix the issue moving forward, Tour officials did outline back in November that more and more future tournaments could be smaller field events, which would of course create less waiting time for players on the course.

Whatever changes need to be made, Dottie Pepper wants to see something improve as soon as possible to speed up the competition, which most fans wholeheartedly concur with.