LPGA to penalize players with fines, strokes under new pace of play policy

Reuters

13-02-2025

February 13 - The Ladies Professional Golf Association is implementing a policy to regulate the pace of play, putting it into effect this spring.
The policy lowers the timing threshold for stoke penalties, among the changes. It will apply to both the LPGA and the Epson Tour.
"The LPGA conducted a thorough review of the current pace of play policy to evaluate and address an issue that has been a source of frustration for players and fans alike. This new policy, which was player-led and developed through an established Pace of Play Committee, was created in what we believe is in the best interest of our brand, fans and the overall LPGA watching experience," said Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, the LPGA player president, in a statement. "Based on a data-backed approach and direct player input, this policy now acts as a stronger deterrent, ensuring players take warnings seriously before penalties become necessary.
"Our overall intention is to improve the pace of play on Tour, and these updates mark a significant step toward creating a more efficient and enjoyable competitive environment, benefiting both our Members and our fans."
The policy takes effect March 27 on the LPGA Tour at the Ford Championship in Chandler, Ariz., and on April 25 for the Epson Tour at the IOA Championship in Beaumont, Calif.
If a player goes over the allotted time she has to hit a shot, the following penalties will apply:
--1-5 seconds over time: fine
--6-15 seconds over: one-stroke penalty
--16 seconds or more: two-stroke penalty
Under the updated policy, the LPGA will continue to allow players who tee off first on par 3 holes and "reachable" par 4s an additional 10 seconds. Eliminated is the extra time given to those who play first on par 4 and par 5 holes.
The issue of slow play reached a boiling point at the end of the 2024 season, when two of the faster players on tour -- Nelly Korda and Charley Hull -- needed five hours, 38 minutes to complete the third round at The Annika last November because of a logjam ahead of them.
Hull held the 54-hole lead, but Korda caught and passed her English rival on the final day, dropping her final putt as darkness descended following another five-hour round.
Hull called the situation "ridiculous," and said she fell sorry for the fans who have to endure the long rounds and offered a solution sure to curb the growing issue.
"I'm quite ruthless, but I said, 'Listen, if you get three bad timings, every time it's a two-shot penalty," she said. "If you have three of them you lose your tour card instantly. 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."
Korda wasn't quite as aggressive with her reaction but didn't disagree.
"It's a pretty big issue," Korda, the world's top-ranked player, said in November. "I think that it really, really needs to change.
"Players just need to be penalized. Rules officials need to watch from the first group. Once they get two minutes behind, one minute behind, it just slows everything down."
A committee was put together to study the issue in the offseason.
At the Founders Cup last weekend in Bradenton, Fla., no one exceeded the target time of four hours, 45 minutes.
"There was not one round that we sniffed 4:45," Korda said. "It was very nice."