If there is something golf fans hate more than bad weather, it’s slow play. And they have a good reason for that, slow play steals away the fun and excitement and ruins the game for everyone. That’s why there are rules for it in place, but are they always followed? Rules officials at the 2024 Solheim Cup have come under fire for failing to address Carlota Ciganda’s slow play, which resulted in a round that lasted for an astonishing 5.5 hours.

This lack of action has been widely criticized, with many calling for stricter enforcement of pace-of-play rules to prevent such delays in the future. By allowing Ciganda’s slow play to go unchecked, rules officials missed an opportunity to maintain a fair and timely pace for all players involved. In 2023, Carlota Ciganda was disqualified from the Amundi Evian Championship after she refused to accept the slow-play penalty.

We all know that golfers such as Nelly Korda are not fans of slow play as she once said, “Honestly, I despise it; 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.” 

When it comes to the slowplay golf fans despise it more than Korda and were ready to make their point on social media.

Netizens bash Carlota Ciganda for her slow play

One fan wrote, “@TheSolheimCup shame on rules officials for letting Carlotta Ciganda get away with slow play 5 &1/2 hours to play a round”, taking a jab at the Solehim Cup Officials. According to SI, a new cut rule has been implemented to tackle pace of play issues. To further address slow play, the Rules of Golf include two key provisions.

First is the Rules of Golf stipulate that players must play without undue delay, as outlined in Rules 6-7. Additionally, the Pace of Play Policy sets a maximum allowable time for completing a round, measured per hole and overall. But then why weren’t any measures taken at the Solheim Cup? This fan was asking exactly that. “Did Tom Abbott just say Zhang/ Ciganda are a hole behind in play already??🐢🐢”. This fan pointed out that Tom Abbott a Golf Channel writer just mentioned that the pair of golfers, Rose Zhang and Carlota Ciganda, are already falling behind schedule, further delaying the game.

Another fan added fuel to the fire and said, “Ciganda is already a hole behind she can’t keep getting away with this.” While this fans said, “I could go the rest of my life without Ciganda. Good player, but soooooo slow.” The Spanish golfer is indeed a star with 2 LPGA Tour, and 7 LET titles to her name but this is not the first time Ciganda has been bashed for her slowplay. At the Evian in 2023, she was warned of her pace but didn’t speed up. When she took too much time again on the 9th hole, she got a two-shot penalty, which she refused to accept.

The fans were asking for the same action to be taken at the Solheim Cup. One fan was ready to ignite a whole fire with their statement. “Tell Ciganda her slow play is worse than people waiting three hours in a parking lot. Golf will never be popular with slow play taking over”, they said.

What are your thoughts on the slow play? Let us know in the comments below.