Irish golfer Peter Lawrie is lending his support to a new ‘Green i’ satellite system that could lead to stamping out Tour tortoises.
‘Green i’ is a Finland developed satellite system that will be able to plot the exact position of each golfer no matter their whereabouts in a tournament.
Peter Lawrie and his GP Sports manager, Steve Schinder hoping a new 'Green Eye' satellite system can lead to stamping out Tour tortioses. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Lawrie, who is lending his ‘time and support’ to the system, indicated the system also possesses the capability of being able to time golfers and establish the exact root causes of slow play.
London-based GP Sports, who manage Lawrie, and Paul Monaghan, owner of the Castleknock Club in Dublin who previously sponsored the Lawrie, have taken out the GB & I marketing rights for the system.
GP Sport’s Director of Golf, Steve Schindler met recently with a number of Tour officials including David Garland, Director of European Tour Operations and Jamie Birkmyre, Director of Championship Management, who agreed to trail the system at the Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
“Green i will be a small computer chip that can easily be fitted to the players badge they wear on their trouser belts, so the minute they step on the first tee they will be virtually on the clock,” said Schindler.
“The reception we got from the Tour was very warm and David said that slow play to him is work and this system could make his job easier.
”A tournament referee could look at the data tablet and see that there is a delay with group 31 and go straight to the problem.”
Lawrie explained: “If you come to a golf tournament and you want to know exactly where Rory McIlroy is then you can go to this machine, punch in Rory’s name and it will tell you exactly where he is.
“Rory could be on the 14th hole hitting his second shot or he could be on the practice range or where ever.
“And the goal is that it will also help with slow play and maybe initially on the Challenge Tour where there is a shortage of referees.
“But slow play is a massive problem out here and hopefully if the Tour elects to adopt the process we can help stamp it out.”
However of more topical concern for Lawrie is this week’s centennary Spanish Open.
Lawrie tees up on the same Seville course where he broke through for a maiden Tour victory in 2008 by denying overwhelming hometown favourite, Ignacio Garrido victory in a play-off.
