It’s fair to say that world No.1 Nelly Korda is relieved by the news that the LPGA Tour is set to introduce stricter slow play punishments.
Interim LPGA commissioner Liz Moore rolled out the changes on Tuesday – after they were first shared by Monday Q Infoon X – and Korda summed up her reaction in one word.
“Finally,” she said ahead of the Founders Cup at Bradenton Country Club, Florida.
“I’m very excited about it. I think that’s one of the things that I’ve just noticed over my time on Tour, is that we used to go from five hours, under five hours, to now you it’s just five and a half, typically.
“So, I think that implementing harsher rules is going to be good for the game of golf.
“They were saying at the meeting; at the end of the day, we’re a form of entertainment. If we’re taking really long out there, I mean, that’s not entertaining.”
Fines and, more crucially, stroke penalties are at the heart of updated slow play guidelines, as the Tour attempts to clamp down on the issue.
A player who exceeds the time limit by six to 15 seconds will receive a one-stroke penalty, while a delay of 16 seconds or more will result in a two-stroke penalty.
And Korda, who has been a critic of the current rules, said players are looking forward to the long-awaited changes coming into effect.
“It was pretty positive [reaction] around,” the 26-year-old said. “I think it was more people were asking how the rules officials time exactly.
“Like what if a rules official doesn’t see the ball still moving on the green and they start the timer, but it’s not necessarily your time to hit because the other person — theoretically the ball is still moving, right, so your time shouldn’t start yet.
“There were questions about that, [but] I think over time that’s going to be ironed out, and it’s going to be better for everyone that the rounds are going to be moving a little faster.”
Meanwhile, Minjee Lee was one of those players who backed the new policy. The Australian said that “nobody” was opposed to it.
“I think it’s great,” she said. “Something had to be done at some point. It’s 2025 and we are just implementing a little bit harsher rules to start with, and it’s going to be a great policy.
“Then hopefully we can go from strength to strength and get quicker.”
Leave a Reply