LPGA Tour, 1-Penalty Stroke for Exceeding 6 Seconds

New Rule to Eliminate Slow Play
Two-Stroke Penalty for Exceeding 16 Seconds, Penalties Emphasized Over Fines
Effective from the Ford Championship on the 27th of Next Month

A penalty is given if the allotted time is exceeded by more than 6 seconds.

This is a new rule to eliminate slow play in the U.S. Women's Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour. The LPGA Tour announced on the 13th (local time) that the recently established pace of play rule will be applied starting from the Ford Championship opening on the 27th of next month. The new rule was notified to players in memo form. The LPGA Tour explained, "After thorough review," that "the new rule will enhance the status of the LPGA Tour and clearly benefit the fans."

The new rule emphasizes penalties more than fines. If a player exceeds the given time by 5 seconds when making a shot, a fine is imposed. If exceeded by 6 to 15 seconds, a one-stroke penalty is given, and if it exceeds 16 seconds, a two-stroke penalty is imposed. The current rule only imposes a two-stroke penalty if the time exceeds 31 seconds, while fines are imposed for exceeding up to 30 seconds. Since players fear penalties that immediately affect the game more than fines paid later, the new rule introduces a one-stroke penalty section and lowers the standard for imposing a two-stroke penalty.

Among the 31 players caught for slow play last year, 22 paid fines and 9 received two-stroke penalties. If the new rule had been applied, 23 players would have received one-stroke penalties and 8 players two-stroke penalties.