LPGA Legend Doubles Down on Slow Play ‘Brutal Consequences’

LPGA Tour and Solheim Cup legend Suzann Pettersen strongly supported the new pace of play policy approved by the world’s premier women’s tour. The policy aims to reduce the length of play on the circuit to make events less time consuming.

In a statement to Golf Monthly, Pettersen said that over the past few months, she has become convinced that pace of play on the LPGA Tour is an issue that needs to be addressed. She acknowledged that the policy represents drastic measures, but said it is the effective way to address the issue.

“Now that I watch a lot of golf on TV, something needs to happen,” Pettersen said. “The LPGA’s new policy might seem brutal, but if there are no real consequences, players won’t adjust. I don’t know any player that loves being on the course for five and a half hours, it’s in everyone’s best interest to speed up play.”

The Norwegian also called for new ways to grow the game:

“Golf is a very traditional sport,” she said, “but we’ve seen change on the men’s side, good and bad, and sometimes shaking things up is a good thing.”

Pettrersen began her professional career in 2000, playing primarily on the LPGA Tour. She won 15 tournaments at that level, including two major championships. She also won six events on the Ladies European Tour.

The Norwegian star represented Europe as a player in nine editions of the Solheim Cup, winning four of them. She returned to the team as captain for two editions, tying in 2023 (Europe retained the trophy) and losing in 2024.

The LPGA Tour’s new policy goes into effect next March. It establishes measures for players to execute their golf shots in 10 seconds or less. Penalties for violators range from fines to two penalty strokes.

Pace of play has been in the spotlight for some time on both the LPGA Tour and other circuits, including the men’s tours. The PGA Tour, for example, has also announced measures to address the issue by reducing the size of its fields, a move that has been questioned by those who feel it favors only the top-ranked players.

Several players have voiced their opinions on the matter.

Recently, Lucas Glover called for the AimPoint green-reading technique to be banned, saying it does not provide real results and delays the round too long. One of the top stars using the technique, Collin Morikawa, fired back by saying that long putters, a controversial type of club used by Glover and many other players on the circuit, should also be banned.

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