Slow play has plagued the LPGA Tour for years, frustrating players and fans alike. But after the 2024 Annika at Pelican Golf Club, things may finally be changing—thanks to a bold stance from Charley Hull and world No. 1 Nelly Korda.
At The Annika, Korda was forced to finish her final hole in near-total darkness—a direct consequence of sluggish pace of play throughout the day. Frustrated, Hull took to the media to offer an extreme but effective solution.
“It was crazy. I’m quite ruthless, but I said, listen, if you get three bad timings, every time it’s a three-shot penalty; 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.”
Harsh? Yes. Effective? Possibly.
And it seems like the LPGA heard the message loud and clear.
LPGA Players Respond: Faster Play at the Founders Cup
After Hull and Korda’s complaints went public, the LPGA Tour saw a noticeable improvement in round times.
📌 The proof? The 2025 Founders Cup at Bradenton Country Club clocked an average round time of just 3 hours and 42 minutes.
That’s a drastic improvement from past events, where rounds often stretched beyond the four-hour mark.
🏆 Winner: Yealimi Noh (-3 final round, 68)
⛳ Nelly Korda: T-7 (-12 overall, 71 final round)
The LPGA Tour’s pace-of-play issue has often been compared to the PGA Tour’s long-standing struggles—but now, it seems the women’s game is making progress faster than its male counterparts.
Slow Play Crackdowns Gaining Momentum Across Golf
The LPGA’s focus on faster play follows a similar move by LIV Golf, which recently released its own average round times to hold players accountable.
With players openly calling for harsher penalties, will other tours—including the PGA Tour—follow suit?
Hull’s three-strike proposal may sound extreme, but there’s no denying the impact of accountability on player behavior.
📢 Debate Time: Should slow players be penalized more severely?
✅ Yes! Three-strike rule or shot penalties would force players to speed up.
❌ No! Golf is a game of strategy, and rushing would impact fairness.
One thing is certain—the LPGA Tour is finally taking pace of play seriously, and fans are all for it.