Days After Huge Masters Controversy, Sluggish LPGA Player Suffers Financial Consequences at Chevron Championship

One of the hottest topics of discussion within the golf community currently is slow play. Fans, the public, and even many pros have been furious at the slow pace with which some golf pros have been playing on the course, especially at the Masters earlier this month. And amid that heated discussion, the LPGA Tour has taken measures! On Saturday this week, an LPGA star suffered the consequences of this latest issue that plagues the sport.

LPGA pro suffers a financial setback

Slow play has arguably been the sport’s biggest issue in recent times. In recent weeks, on the PGA Tour too, pros like Patrick Cantlay have been receiving backlash for the huge amount of time they spend on the ball. But it seems like the men’s league isn’t the only one facing this problem.

Read More – ‘Is This a Joke?!’: Lexi Thompson Was Once Left Fuming Over a ‘Ridiculous’ Penalty

The LPGA Tour is currently hosting its first major this year, and similar to the Masters at Augusta just weeks ago, here too, golfers have been taking their sweet time on the ball. But the LPGA hopes to nip that in the bud, and when a player persisted with her sluggish pace after a warning, the Tour slapped her with a fine.

As per Golf Digest’s recent report, Lucy Li, a rookie on the Tour, was the one made an example of. On the seventh hole, despite having received a warning about her pace, the issue persisted. The LPGA quickly intervened and fined the pro for her offense. They did not disclose the amount of the fine. But fortunately, the officials did not impose a penalty that would have cost her two strokes.

The rules around slow play

On the LPGA Tour, the regulations allow officials to penalize players for unreasonable delay if they take more than 60 seconds to play a shot or exceed the average time allotted for the total strokes at a hole. If players exceed the time, officials may impose a fine, as Li witnessed just hours ago.

Moreover, if players take more than 11 seconds longer than the average time, a 2-stroke penalty may also be imposed. Li is also allowed to appeal the fine before the end of the Chevron Championship. But whether she has already done so or is looking to do so remains a mystery.

Watch This Story | When Paige Spiranac Got Critical About the LPGA’s Dress Code

Do you think fines as such help to get rid of the slow play issue in the sport? Let us know in the comments below.