One of the biggest talking points coming out of what was a fantastic week for the LPGA at The ANNIKA was the issue of slow play – particularly after comments made by Charley Hull following her final round at Pelican Golf Club.
The ANNIKA clearly had the potential to be a bit of a game-changer for the LPGA. Caitlin Clark playing the Pro-Am brought all kinds of attention to the event, while it was the game’s biggest superstar, Nelly Korda, who won for the seventh time this year on Sunday.
However, it was not a perfect week for the tour, with Korda complaining about slow play after the third round as she finished up in the darkness. And of course, many would have seen Charley Hull’s comments about how slow play can be addressed.
Lexi Thompson responds to Charley Hull’s comments about addressing slow play on the LPGA
Hull suggested that she would strip players of tour cards should they receive three time penalties. Obviously, there is next to no chance of any tour taking those steps, but there has been a lot of support for what the Englishwoman said, particularly after her final round took the best part of six hours.
And speaking in her press conference ahead of the CME Group Tour Championship, Lexi Thompson suggested that she largely agrees with Hull’s take.
“Yeah, hers was a bit of an aggressive comment. I don’t disagree with it. It has to be done. Something has to be done to quicken up the play out there, whether it’s fines or whatever it is. Needs to be done because we need to play quicker. Fans aren’t enjoying being out there for five and a half hours in the heat,” she said.
“Hopefully be quicker this week.”
How slow play was punished at The ANNIKA
The problem the LPGA faces is coming up with the kind of penalties which deter players from playing slowly. Clearly, there are occasions where it is not possible to hit a shot immediately, and perhaps they are wary about some of those grey areas.
Spaniard Carlota Ciganda was fined $4,000 at The ANNIKA for the pace of her play, as reported by The Telegraph. However, the Solheim Cup hero was the one player to break into the crucial top 60 ahead of the season finale this week.
And as the report notes, last place this week will take home $55,000, so it was clearly much more beneficial for Ciganda to play at her preferred pace to ensure that she qualified for the Race To CME Globe.
The tour which brings in stronger penalties will attract a lot of support from fans – and it seems that many players are just as keen to see big changes made.
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