by The LPGA Tour’s new Pace of Play Policy is now official. The Tour revealed the changes today, a little over a week after updates to the policy were presented at a players meeting at the Founders Cup. A new penalty structure and adjustments to the 10-second allowance will take effect at the Ford Championship at the end of March. The same changes will also be put into action on the Epson Tour at the IOA Championship in April.
If enforced appropriately, there’s no doubt these changes will speed up play. The updated penalty structure hits players where it hurts: penalty strokes. Players will now enter into penalty stroke territory much quicker than the previous policy due to the addition of a “1-Stroke Penalty” tier. If the new policy was in effect last year, 23 players would’ve received a one-stroke penalty and eight would’ve received a two-stroke penalty. The old policy fined 22 players and only nine players received a two-stroke penalty.
The LPGA's old and new pace of play policy.
A single penalty stroke is a far more effective measure to speed up pace of play than a fine or even a series of fines throughout the season. As LPGA Player President Vicki Goetze-Ackerman noted, “this policy now acts as a stronger deterrent, ensuring players take warnings seriously before penalties become necessary.”
On top of the new penalty structure, the 10-second allowance is also getting updated. Under the previous policy, the first player to tee off on each hole received an extra 10 seconds to play. That buffer is now being eliminated on par 3s and short par 4s. The message is clear: If you have the honor, you better get moving.
Simply put, these policy changes are fantastic. The speed with which the Pace of Play committee reviewed, updated, and enacted its new policy might be even more impressive than the new policy itself. Fans of professional golf have been trained to shudder at the mention of the word committee in recent years as it’s been a death sentence for any sort of meaningful change or progress. What a pleasant surprise to go from top players expressing frustration with slow play to a new policy announced and put into effect in just under a little over four months. That’s like traveling at light speed in the world of golf. Kudos to the Pace of Play committee and interim commissioner Liz Moore for walking the walk when it comes to moving things along quickly and effectively.
Another refreshing angle to the slow play updates is the positive reaction from the players. Nelly Korda and Minjee Lee praised the changes. Stacy Lewis, who was part of the committee that formed the new policy, said it’s been well received. Even Gaby Lopez, a player whose pace of play fits perfectly in the “deliberate” category, said she thinks the policy is fair and will be working to improve. Once the changes are in effect, there are sure to be grumblings from players, but how nice is it to not have a single hyperbolic, whiny, or just plain inaccurate overreaction from the players. More of that, please.
The policy does fall short in the area of transparency. Publishing the fines and penalties doled out each week would add another form of motivation for players to stay within the updated rules. A little public shaming is an effective tool to prove to the fans that the new policy is being enforced and taken seriously.
One final observation from this development is worth noting. The players who spoke their minds on the subject of slow play, particularly Korda and Charley Hull, should be encouraged by the change they helped bring about. Their voices matter, the LPGA takes their opinions seriously, and they should feel empowered to speak openly and honestly more often.
