The LPGA Tour has been grappling with a crisis that threatens the very essence of golf as entertainment—the slow play epidemic. Tournament rounds routinely stretch beyond five-and-a-half hours, with three groups often backing up on a single hole. At the 2024 AIG Women’s Open, fans dubbed the event “barely watchable” as groups took over two hours just to complete six holes. The FM Championship’s first round was even suspended due to darkness, a direct consequence of the glacial pace that has become all too familiar on the Tour.

Enter the LPGA Tour’s most aggressive pace-of-play policy yet, where players now face stroke penalties for delays as short as six seconds. This unprecedented move marks a dramatic shift in professional golf’s battle against time, but will it be enough to save the entertainment value of the women’s game? Nelly Korda, thinks so.

You see, she has been voicing her frustration against slow play for a long time now. “Honestly, I despise slow play. It drives me up a freaking wall. Like, it’s just that I just can’t stand it; it’s probably my biggest pet peeve.” said Korda once. So, her validation does carry a weight.

Nelly Korda champions LPGA Tour’s bold move

“Finally, Yeah, I’m very excited about it,” exclaimed Nelly Korda at the LPGA player meeting as she revealed in the Founders Cup press conference. For the World No. 1, this moment marked a turning point in her long-standing battle against golf’s biggest entertainment killer. The Tour’s groundbreaking policy, effective March 27, 2025, introduces a three-tier penalty system that’s unprecedented in professional golf.

Players exceeding their time by 1-5 seconds will face fines, while 6-15 second delays result in a one-stroke penalty. The harshest punishment—a two-stroke penalty—awaits those who take 16 or more seconds over their allotted time.

The policy specifically targets pre-shot routines, removing the previous 10-second allowance for first players hitting on par 4s and 5s. “At the end of the day we’re a form of entertainment,” Korda stressed at the Founders Cup press conference. “If we’re taking really long out there, I mean, that’s not entertaining.” This sentiment perfectly aligns with the new rules, which maintain time buffers only for par 3s, approach shots, and putts.

Korda’s passion for faster play runs deep. “If I was a spectator and I was out here for five-and-a-half hours to six hours, it’s tough to watch. You want to watch a sport that’s continuously moving and not continuously stalling,” she said. Her advocacy has grown stronger with each tournament round, particularly after witnessing groups take over two hours just to complete six holes at events like the Solheim Cup.

While the new policy gains support from some corners, many LPGA players find themselves in a precarious position. The Tour data reveals the shocking reality: 23 players would have faced one-stroke penalties in 2024, with eight more receiving two-stroke penalties under these rules. These numbers have sent shockwaves through the professional ranks.

LPGA stars face pressure with the new rules

Players known for their deliberate pre-shot routines feel the mounting tension most acutely. At the recent Evian Championship, Carlota Ciganda‘s disqualification for refusing to accept a slow-play penalty highlighted the growing friction between players and officials. Fellow major champion Minjee Lee acknowledged the necessity of change, saying, “I think it was necessary for something to be addressed at some point.” However, her measured response contrasts sharply with the private concerns many players express about the severity of the new system.

The debate reached new heights when Charley Hull suggested an even more dramatic solution—revoking tour cards after three slow-play violations. “It’s ridiculous. I feel sorry for the fans how slow it is out there,” said the Englishwoman. “I’m quite ruthless but [my idea would be] if you get three bad ­timings, every time it’s a two-shot penalty,” Hull added. “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.”

Some players might worry that the pressure to rush shots could affect their performance, particularly during major championships where the stakes are highest, but we guess that’ll have to do now. Nobody would want a penalty. What are your thoughts on these penalties? Let us know in the comment section below!