Nelly Korda joins Lexi Thompson, Charley Hull, offers remedy for LPGA slow play issues

Nelly Korda, the world’s top-ranked golfer, has taken a stand on a persistent issue in professional golf: slow play on the LPGA Tour. Speaking after her seventh win of the season at The ANNIKA, Korda proposed a straightforward solution to address the problem—enforce penalties.

She emphasized the need for rules officials to monitor pace from the first group onward, suggesting that stricter time management could prevent rounds from dragging. Her frustration is shared by fellow players, including Lexi Thompson, who has voiced her belief that competitive rounds should not exceed four and a half hours.

Yet, during Sunday’s round at Pelican Golf Club, Korda’s group, which included Charley Hull and Weiwei Zhang, took more than five hours to complete their play, a pace Korda deemed unacceptable for players and spectators alike.

Charley Hull echoed Korda’s concerns, advocating for more drastic measures such as docked strokes or even revocation of a Tour card after repeated slow-play infractions. While Korda called Hull’s suggestion “funny,” both agreed that stricter enforcement is essential. The current system, Korda argued, allows players to overanalyze and delay their pre-shot routines, which she believes undermines the fan experience and the sport’s appeal.

She also pointed out the lack of sufficient officials on the course to monitor pace effectively. Without meaningful action, slow play risks diminishing the excitement and accessibility of the LPGA, making Korda’s and Hull’s remarks a call to prioritize this issue for the future of the game.