After several players on the LPGA Tour, including Nelly Korda and Charley Hull, voiced their disdain at slow play on the circuit, it appears that LPGA officials are starting to crack down on it.
First reported by @acaseofthegolf1, a memo was sent out to players explaining that fines and shot penalties will be enforced if individuals are unable to follow the guidance, which you can check out below.
What's Staying The Same?
- The warning system
- Banking of time on a hole
- Excessive shot timing
- Target timing
- Fines doubling the following year
What's changing?
- Penalties:
- +1-5 seconds over time: Fine
- +6-15 seconds: 1-stroke penalty
- +16 seconds or more: 2-stroke penalty
10-second allowance changes
- First to hit on par 4s and 5s will no longer receive an additional 10 seconds (except on reachable par 4s)
- First to hit on par 3s, approach shots, and putts will receive the extra 10 seconds
Along with the points above, a statement in the letter also read: “Under the previous policy in 2024, 22 athletes received a fine and nine received a two-stroke penalty.
“If this new policy had been in place last season, 23 players would have received a one-stroke penalty, and eight would have received a two-stroke penalty.
“We believe this is a meaningful step in addressing this challenge and will continue evaluating additional solutions as needed. With that said, our intention with these adjustments is to improve the pace of play – not to impose penalties and fines.
“These changes will take effect from March 27 at The Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass.”
In November 2024, two-time LPGA Tour winner Hull pointed out that her third round at The Annika took close to six hours, with the Solheim Cup star explaining the way that she would enforce penalties on those who can't keep up with play.
"I’m quite ruthless, but I said, listen, if you get three bad timings, every time it’s a two-shot penalty. If you have three of them, you lose your Tour card instantly, go back to Q-School. I’m sure that would hurry a lot of people up and they won’t want to lose their Tour card. That would kill the slow play, but they would never do that."
Hull wasn't the only player, as World No.1, Korda, claimed “it's (slow play) a pretty big issue," adding "I just think it really drags the game down. I think that it really, really needs to change.”
Throughout the past few years there have been examples of players being penalized for slow play. Back at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship Carlota Ciganda was handed a two-stroke penalty for slow play during her second round.
Appealing the decision, the Spaniard was denied and, after refusing to add the penalty to her scorecard, she was subsequently disqualified.
It's not just the women's game where slow play has been mentioned. On the PGA Tour, multiple players have spoken out about rounds taking too long, with US Open winner, Lucas Glover, even listing several ways he would reduce round time.
Speaking to SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Glover suggested a ban on AimPoint, the introduction of lasers and also a ban on honorary observers and sign bearers, with the American even adding that groups should have individual bunker rakers.
He's not the only one, as PGA Tour pro, Byeong Hun An, claimed that giving players penalty shots is the way to "definitely" help with slow play, with the South Korean suggesting that a "shot clock will be a lot better" in helping to speed up play.
