Slow-play penalty handed out during first round of Korn Ferry Tour Finals event

With the four-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals underway, every shot counts as players battle for PGA Tour cards that will go to the top 20 in points.

Bryson Nimmer lost a shot on Thursday because of slow play.

Nimmer, who entered this week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in Columbus, Ohio, ranked No. 36 in points, was penalized one stroke after he received a bad time on the par-4 18th hole at Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course. According to a KFT official, Nimmer took 68 seconds to play his second shot on the hole, 18 over the allotted time.

Nimmer’s par on the hole became a bogey, and the former Clemson standout signed for 2-over 73, which has him 11 shots off the lead and a couple back of the current projected cut line.

The KFT rolled out a revised pace-of-play policy at the Lecom Suncoast Classic in April. As part of the new policy, players are subject to a one-shot penalty after their first bad time, a change from the previous rules, which didn’t assess a penalty stroke until the second bad time. The penalty for two bad times in now two shots, while a third resulting in disqualification. Once players fall behind pace and are put on the clock, they are warned and monitored by an official. Players have 40 seconds to play most shots, though an additional 10 seconds is allotted for several circumstances, including being the first to hit a tee shot on a par-3 or the first to play on a green.

This new policy, also adopted by PGA Tour Americas, is not in effect on the PGA Tour.

Nimmer’s penalty marked the third on the KFT this season.