Slow play: we left off at the end of 2024 with the deliberately provocative statements of Charley Hull, exasperated after having spent – against her will – a good 5 hours and 40 minutes to play round 3 at The ANNIKA at the Pelican Golf Club.
An official response from the LPGA was expected, and here it is.
In a note sent to the players and published on X by Monday Q Info, the LPGA communicates the news regarding the sanctions for slow play.
Golf, rules
This is the detail:
For delays of up to a maximum of 5 seconds over the regulation time (40 seconds) a fine is foreseen;
For delays between 6 and 15 seconds over the regulation time a penalty stroke is foreseen;
For delays over 15 seconds a penalty stroke is foreseen.
Additionally, the first-to-hit player (tee shot, approach shot and putt) will no longer have the extra 10 seconds on par 4s and 5s (except for reachable par 4s), while the extra 10 seconds will remain on par 3s.
The LPGA concluded the statement with this statement:
“Under the previous policy in effect in 2024, 22 players received a fine and nine received a two-stroke penalty.
Had this new policy been in effect 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 significant step in addressing this challenge and will continue to evaluate additional solutions as needed. That said, our intention with these changes is to improve the pace of play, not to impose penalties and fines.”
The new provisions will take effect March 27, 2025.
There were many favorable comments from LPGA Tour players, starting with No. 1 Nelly Korda.
The first LPGA event of 2025 – the Founders Cup – has just concluded. Although the new rules against slow play are not yet in force, they have already had some effect.
Golf Digest has published the average playing times for each day:
Round 1: 4 hours 31 minutes (3 balls)
Round 2: 4 hours 23 minutes (3 balls)
Round 3: 3 hours 48 minutes (2 balls)
Round 4: 3 hours 42 minutes (2 balls).
Suzann Pettersen, who in recent days presented her project VOXA – a management company to promote women’s golf supported by the 54 group (a company of the Golf Saudi and Pif orbit) – told the press her satisfaction with this decision of the LPGA, not hiding that one of the main reasons behind this ‘tightening’ is to make women’s golf more attractive to television and streaming media.
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