Gradual play has been a pertinent subject of debate on the LPGA this season. And the most important stars within the sport have had sufficient.
Two days after profitable her seventh occasion of the season at The ANNIKA, Nelly Korda fielded a query in regards to the glacial tempo of play that has plagued the LPGA for years. She provided a easy but efficient resolution, one which ought to be enforced time and time once more.
“Gamers simply should be penalized,” Korda mentioned blatantly.
“Guidelines officers want to observe from the primary group. As soon as they get two minutes behind, one minute behind, it simply slows every thing down.”
Korda’s feedback got here quickly after Lexi Thompson took a shot on the LPGA’s gradual tempo of play. Thompson talked about how aggressive rounds mustn’t take greater than 4 and a half hours, which was not the case on Sunday at The ANNIKA. Korda’s group, which included Charley Hull and Weiwei Zhang, took greater than 5 hours to trudge round Pelican Golf Membership.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25742514/2185144422.jpg)
“I personally assume it’s a reasonably large situation. I feel it’s not good for the followers that come out and watch us,” Korda added.
“If it was me personally, I might be very, very aggravated expecting 5 hours, over 5 hours, 5 hours and 40 minutes, shut to 6. I simply assume it actually drags the sport down.”
After this previous weekend, Hull, who tied for second and completed three strokes behind Korda, provided a “ruthless” resolution to the tempo of play situation. She and Korda additionally accomplished their third rounds in the dead of night.
“I’m fairly ruthless,” Hull mentioned.
“Pay attention, in case you get three unhealthy timings, each time it’s a tee shot penalty; when you’ve got three of them, you lose your Tour card immediately. I’m positive that might hurry lots of people up, and so they received’t need to lose their Tour card. That may kill the gradual play, however they’d by no means do this.”
Maybe the LPGA ought to a minimum of entertain Hull’s thought. Thompson mentioned she “didn’t disagree with it.” Korda known as it “humorous.”
However you realize what’s not humorous? When a participant stands within the fairway, ready to play their shot whereas a fellow competitor takes two or three minutes to line up a putt from inside 5 ft up on the inexperienced. It’s infuriating to everybody concerned.
“I’m hitting proper after the particular person in entrance of me simply hit,” Korda mentioned.
“I feel individuals simply should be — individuals overanalyze, one, and I feel individuals simply should be prepared quicker. Folks begin their course of just a little too late and stand over it for too lengthy. We’d like extra individuals on the bottom to watch the tempo of play. I don’t assume we have now sufficient individuals to watch it.”
Maybe that’s the treatment the LPGA wants: extra officers on the bottom to implement the tempo of play. That may assist, a minimum of in Korda’s thoughts.
Regardless, the LPGA can’t proceed to do what it has executed for fairly a while: sit idly by, simply as Korda did on the tee and within the fairway on so many events this previous week.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. You should definitely try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
