LPGA Strengthens Pace of Play Policies in 2025

The LPGA has informed its players of stricter penalties in 2025 to combat slow pace of play.

Few topics have been talked about more in golf over the past year than pace of play, especially on the LPGA Tour. The debate really heated up at the 2024 Chevron Championship, where rounds were consistently in the six hour range. The debate raged on in November where Nelly Korda and Charley Hull were particularly outspoken about the need for change.

Staying in 2025 will be the warning system that was in place, banking of time on a hole, excessive shot timing, target timing and fines doubling the following year.

The LPGA has listened and starting with the Ford Championship in March, will be implementing the following rules:

• 1-5 seconds over time: Fine
• 6-15 seconds over time: one-stroke penalty
• 16+ seconds over time: two-stroke penalty

In addition, first players to hit tee shots on par fours and fives previously had an additional 10 seconds to hit, that will no longer be the case except on drivable par fours. First to hit on par 3s, approach shots and putts will still get the extra 10 seconds.

While 22 players received a fine for slow play in 2024, under the new rules 23 players would have received a one-stroke penalty.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda was not shy about her feelings on the new policy:

“Finally. Yeah, I’m very excited about it. I think that’s one of the things that I’ve just noticed over my time on Tour, is that we used to go from five hours, under five hours, to now you it’s just five and a half, typically, our rounds,” said Korda. “So I think that implementing harsher rules is going to be good for the game of golf. They were saying at the meeting, at the end of the day we’re a form of entertainment. If we’re taking really long out there, I mean, that’s not entertaining.”

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