PGA Tour reveals new club-testing program for 2019/20 season

The PGA Tour has revealed it will implement a new club-testing program next season in a bid to identify player drivers that are non-conforming or on the verge of being non-conforming.

Running in conjunction with the USGA, the program will see the PGA Tour take full responsibility of deciding the fate of whether a driver is against the rules of golf.

As of next season, the PGA Tour will test drivers pulled directly from player's bags, instead of just taking clubheads from on-site equipment trailers as has been the case before. 

The PGA Tour has designed the club-testing program due to drivers, over time, increasing beyond the Characteristic Time (CT), which measures the spring-like effect of a clubface. 

Player's bags will be inspected at various, unannounced tournaments throughout the PGA Tour season, but it will be done on practice days and not tournament rounds. 

Once a player has been selected, they will need to hand their driver over to a PGA Tour official who will then bring it in for testing.

The PGA Tour says that players will not be told their CT numbers, but instead be given a red, yellow or green light.

> Green means the club is good to go.

> Yellow means the club is conforming but the result is within the USGA published tolerance, so during any subsequent testing there is a higher likelihood that the club will exceed the limit plus tolerance. Essentially, yellow is a player's warning to seriously consider changing the clubface.

> Red means the club is deemed to be non-conforming, and may not be used in subsequent rounds. 

If a player is given a green or yellow light, their driver will be returned to them, but those given a red will see their drivers returned to the  manufacturer and not the player. 

A PGA Tour memo stated: "Complying with this program will be considered a condition of entry for the tournament."