PGA Tour Contender Faces Delay Penalty During Korn Ferry Tour Finals
Bryson Nimmer, a promising golfer on the Korn Ferry Tour, faced a setback during the opening round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship on September 18, 2025. The contest was marred by a one-stroke penalty imposed on Nimmer for slow play.
The new pace-of-play policy, introduced on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas earlier this year, does not offer a warning for the first offense. Instead, it results in a one-stroke penalty. Nimmer's group was put on the clock, and a referee began timing each player during the round.
On the 18th hole, Nimmer took 68 seconds to play his second stroke, exceeding the time allowed by 18 seconds. This transgression, combined with a previous slow play misdemeanor within a week, resulted in a two-stroke penalty. Under the rules, a second slow play offense leads to a two-stroke penalty, and a third offense in a single tournament results in disqualification.
Despite the setback, Nimmer had reached the final hole of his front nine at even par during the tournament. However, the slow play penalty transformed his par into a bogey five. Nimmer signed for a two-over 73 in the opening round, 11 strokes behind first-round leader, John VanDerLaan, and two shots outside of the projected cut line.
The Korn Ferry Tour introduced this updated pace-of-play policy in April to clamp down on unnecessarily long rounds in its feeder circuits. At least four players across the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas have been penalized for slow play under this policy.
Nimmer is hoping to graduate onto the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour standings, where he currently sits 36th. Several names have already earned their card for the PGA Tour, including Neal Shipley, Johnny Keefer, and Austin Smotherman.
It's worth noting that the new policy is currently live on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas, but has not been introduced on the PGA Tour yet. The PGA Tour started publishing pace-of-play statistics at the Rocket Classic in June. As for the players penalized for slow play at the PGA Tour Americas before Bryson Nimmer, there are no available search results prior to the Korn Ferry Tour's Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship.
Despite the penalty, Nimmer's recent win at the 2025 Tulum Championship showcases his potential. The top-20 on the Korn Ferry Tour's points list will move up to the historic US circuit next season, offering Nimmer another opportunity to prove his mettle.
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