Should a golfer’s slow play get an increased penalty? With the rising concern for slow play, many players have pointed out trouble with slow play from the game. A list of golfers, including Matt Fitzpatrick, Brooks Koepka, and Camilo Villegas, have spoken out against it, but there haven’t been any active changes to the rules.

Even though the rule book has rules focusing on slow play and penalties. The most evident rule is — Rule 5.6a, which covers unreasonable delay of play, and Rules 6-9 covers undue delay and slow play. The rule of golf follows a series, including warnings for the first offense. Following that, stroke penalty, loss of hole, disqualification, and fines are imposed. Even after having the list of penalties, the issue with the bigger event field is very evident, and Villegas has spoken out for it.

The Columbian golfer who served on the Player Advisory Council has suggested a new punishment that should be imposed for slow play. The 43-year-old when sharing about his past participation at the 156-player Korn Ferry Tour events said, “I’d go into player dining, order an omelette, send (KFT president) Alex Baldwin a picture and say I’m eating breakfast at the turn.” As per Bunkered’s report, he even shared, “We can’t enforce pace of play. In 2026, when that is not the case, we need to enforce it.”

With the increasing size of the event, slow play is going to stretch the tournament longer. Tired of which, the 4X PGAT winner came in a year early (as per his suggested timeline in the quote) with a suggestion for slow play. As per Golf Magic, he suggested, “I think their names should be posted in the locker room in font 30, and Michael Kim brought this up a little while back, their caddie should wear a fluorescent orange bib. Make them feel bad.”

Further sharing on it, “That’s not the way this game should be played. The Tour’s never going to do that. I wish they did… We had the balls to do the changes last year so maybe we do have the balls to enforce the pace of play a little better,” he added. As for the slow play issue, an LPGA professional has been the top name. Even for which, her peers call her, “Human Weather Delay.”

Carlota Ciganda has been accused of slow play multiple times, including the 2023 Amundi Evan Championship and the 2021 Bank of Hope Match Play event where she was penalized for her slow play. Heartbreakingly, during the 2021 event, Ciganda was leading the event, but with a reduction in the final putt. She lost the hole and eventually the match, too.

However, the LPGA professional isn’t the only one in the golf world who is being accused of slow play. Many others from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour are getting accused of the same as Ciganda.

Other professionals accused of slow play

Along with the LPGA professional, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were also accused of slow play. Before the Masters 2023, Cantlay especially faced criticism. Not only this, Matt Fitzpatrick, who shared the course with Patty Ice at the final round of RBC Heritage, also shared the same. He called for more actions to be taken for slow play.

Speaking of the issue, world no. 2 shared, “No one’s been penalised for slow play or anything of that nature, so we’re all operating within the framework of what the Tour gives us.” He even shared, “We’re not playing like the local muni that sort of the average Joe compares our time par to. We’re playing for a couple million – you know, $3.6 million.”

While backing himself after all the criticism, he ended with, “If you’re going to spend an extra minute to make sure you put yourself in the right spot, we’re going to do it. That’s just the nature of our game and our sport.”

Apart from the two, Jacob Skov Olesen DP World Tour rookie was penalized for slow play at the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship. Receiving a one-stroke penalty. Now with two sides for slow play, one agreeing with it being the nature of the sport. While others focused on matching the pace for an increased number of players. What according to you is correct to pursue? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.