vStream & The Shot Clock Masters 2018

The Shot Clock Masters took place from the 7th-10th June 2018 at the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg. This event is like no other and was the first time ever that a shot clock has been used for an entire golf competition. In an effort to speed up the game and add an exciting twist to the competitions, players were given a time limit for each shot they take. A shot clock is already used in various sports such as basketball, handball and water polo to add a sense of urgency to play. The software for this shot clock was created by vStream.

vStream Co-Founder, Andrew Jenkinson, had this to say about the success of the shot clock: “Working with the European Tour on this initiative has been an incredible experience. The team, let by CTO Michael Cole, have a new mandate to innovate in one of the most traditional sports there is, whilst keeping the strong heritage intact. The Shot Clock Masters is the perfect blend of innovation and technology facilitating a more engaging spectacle for spectators and TV audiences, whilst also improving the experience for the players on the course. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with one group setting a tour record of a sub-4 hour round on day one.”

Michael Cole, CTO for The European Tour, spoke of the challenge involved in implementing the clock: “Delivering the Shot Clock is possibly one of the most challenging technical projects ever delivered directly into the field-of-play for a major televised sports event.”

Cole went on to praise the results that the clock had on the pace of play as well as the players’ performances during the event: “The Shot Clock Masters appears to be a huge success – quickening pace of play by 30 minutes and yet also reducing the average score by one shot, whilst providing a great engaging spectator feature.”

Each player was accompanied by a referee on a buggy, on which a visible digital clock and a scoreboard are set up. The referee uses a tablet to operate the stopwatch and the screen. The shot clock is also synchronised to the broadcasting studio, for live television display across Sky Sports and the Golf Channel. All of this for up to 20 buggies, 24 groups across 18 holes and timing 8640 shots a day.