Charley Hull's Zero-Tolerance Solution for LPGA's Slow Play Crisis
Professional golfer Charley Hull proposes a strict solution to combat the persistent slow-play problem in professional golf. During The Annika tournament at Pelican Golf Club, the final group featuring Hull and Nelly Korda required 5 hours and 38 minutes to complete their third round, finishing after sunset.
Hull, known for her quick play style alongside Korda, expressed frustration with the situation: "It's ridiculous and I feel sorry for the fans how slow it is out there. We play in a four-ball at home on a hard golf course and we're round in three and a half, four hours. It is pretty crazy."
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While the LPGA does implement some penalties for slow play, Hull suggests a more severe approach: "If you get three bad timings, every time it's a shot penalty. If you have three of them you lose your Tour card instantly." She believes this harsh consequence would effectively address the slow-play epidemic, though acknowledges it's unlikely to be implemented.
The issue was highlighted during The Annika tournament, where poor planning resulted in players finishing their rounds in near darkness. Korda noted, "It's kind of hard when you don't really see. Whenever you're sitting on 18 and the sun is already down, it's never nice."
Despite current penalties and fines, five-hour-plus rounds remain common in professional golf, suggesting current measures are insufficient to address the problem effectively.
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