Charley Hull’s proposal to impose harsh penalties on slow players, including losing their tour card after three bad timings, has sparked a heated debate in the golfing community. Hull’s frustration with slow play was evident after she and playing partner Nelly Korda took five hours and 38 minutes to finish their Saturday round at The Annika, with Korda commenting on the poor planning that led to their late finish.

Hull’s suggestion may be extreme, but it has resonated with many, including Annika Sorenstam, who agrees that the pace of play has gotten slower and slower. With golfers like Max Homa and Nelly Korda sharing Hull’s proposal on social media, it’s clear that the issue of slow play is a pressing concern. After many LPGA pros have voiced out, another one has chimed in the debate and it seems like she also agrees with Hull’s stance.

In the latest interview with Essentially Sports’ Andrew Whitelaw on YouTube, LPGA pro Lauren Coughlin shared her thoughts on the challenges of slow play and expressed her support for stricter penalties. She argued that simply enforcing the existing rules and imposing fines isn’t enough, as players may view the fines as a worthwhile investment to save a stroke. “We need more rules officials, um, we really just don’t have many, enough out there, don’t think to actually be able to like enforce the true rules of pace of play. But also, like fines and stuff, are just fines – just don’t really do anything in my opinion”, she said.

Instead, Coughlin suggests that stroke penalties, such as a one or two-stroke penalty, would be a more effective way to address slow play and encourage players to maintain a better pace. “Like, if you know you’re still going to make the cut, it’s worth it to save yourself a stroke and just pay the $2,500 or whatever it is, right? And so I think the only real way is to stroke people – if they hit a bad time, there’s no warning, you got a bad time, stroke penalty.”

The conversation also touched on the matter of traveling and scheduling the tour. She emphasized the importance of having a geographically friendly schedule to minimize stress on the players’ bodies. “The hardest part of our job is to travel, and so to have a really, schedule that flows really, you know, geographically is a big thing, just to kind of ease our bodies and not put as much stress on it.” While acknowledging that the scheduling has improved over the years, Coughlin still believes there’s room for improvement.

After many complaints from its star players, it seems like the LPGA Tour has finally taken a step in the right direction to address the issue of slow play.

LPGA Tour did listen to Charley Hull

The new pace-of-play policy is set to impose stricter penalties on players who take too long to make their shots. Under the new rules, players who exceed the allotted time by 1-5 seconds will be fined, while those who take 6-15 seconds longer will receive a one-shot penalty. If a player takes 16 seconds or more over the allotted time, they’ll be hit with a two-shot penalty. This is a significant change from the previous policy, which only imposed a two-shot penalty for delays of more than 10 seconds.

Nelly Korda, one of the top players on the tour, is thrilled with the new policy. “Finally,” she exclaimed, expressing her excitement about the stricter rules. Korda believes that the new policy will not only improve the pace of play but also make the game more entertaining for fans. With the average round time creeping up to five and a half hours, it’s clear that something needed to be done. The LPGA Tour’s decision to listen to players like Charley Hull, who have been vocal about the need for change, is a step in the right direction.