The LPGA Tour is cracking down on gradual play, hoping to handle a difficulty that has reached a boiling level all through the game.
In a memo despatched to gamers Tuesday and obtained by a number of media retailers, the tour mentioned gamers can obtain as little as fines to as a lot as two-shot penalties in rounds for taking too lengthy to hit a shot.
In keeping with Golf Channel, the LPGA Tour’s present coverage relating to gradual play is that “a participant in a gaggle which is out of place could also be penalized for unreasonable delay if: a. the participant takes greater than 60 seconds to play one shot, together with putts, and/or b. the gamers exceeds the utmost allotted period of time for the full strokes timed on a given gap by greater than 10 seconds.”
The memo despatched to gamers states that gamers now could be fined in the event that they go 1 to five seconds over the time allotment, could be assessed a one-shot penalty in the event that they go 6 to fifteen seconds over it and could be assessed a two-shot penalty in the event that they go 16 seconds or extra over it.
“Lastly,” world No. 1 Nelly Korda responded when requested her ideas on the brand new coverage Wednesday.
“I am very enthusiastic about it,” she informed reporters. “I believe that is one of many issues that I’ve simply seen over my time on tour is that we used to go from 5 hours, beneath 5 hours to now it is simply 5 and a half, usually, our rounds. I believe implementing harsher guidelines goes to be good for the sport of golf as a result of they’re saying on the assembly, on the finish of the day, [we’re an entertainment product]. If we’re taking actually lengthy on the market, that is not entertaining.”
The brand new coverage will start on the Ford Championship subsequent month, a tour spokesperson mentioned.
Final week, PGA Tour executives mentioned they may start testing and implementing modifications aimed toward dashing up play later this season.
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