Nelly Korda says she is ‘very excited’ as LPGA brings in ‘harsher’ rule which could see more players punished

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Nelly Korda has an unbelievably difficult task ahead of her in 2025 as she looks to somehow follow the success she enjoyed last year as the world number one won seven times.

Nelly Korda had an incredible 2024, with the 26-year-old winning her second major title, as well as six other events on the LPGA. Her run in the first half of the year was particularly remarkable, as she won six times in seven starts.

Korda’s win at The ANNIKA reminded everyone just how good she could be as she made five birdies in a row on the back nine on Sunday to take the title at Pelican Golf Club.

But that was not the only storyline to emerge from the event. There was plenty of criticism after an incredibly slow pace of play across the week.

Nelly Korda reacts as the LPGA Tour creates new slow play policy

Charley Hull said she would strip players of tour cards to tackle the problem. The fine Carlota Ciganda received that week was lower than the minimum amount of prize money she was guaranteed to get at the CME Group Tour Championship the following week, with the Spaniard just doing enough to force her way into that field.

But it appears that the LPGA are now ready to take a much tougher stance. Two shot penalties could be handed out for those who are deemed to take too long over a shot.

And speaking ahead of the Founders Cup, Korda insisted that she is delighted to see the changes.

“Finally. Yeah, I’m very excited about it. I think that’s one of the things that I’ve just noticed over my time on Tour, is that we used to go from five hours, under five hours, to now you it’s just five and a half, typically, our rounds,” she said.

“So I think that implementing harsher rules is going to be good for the game of golf. They were saying at the meeting, at the end of the day we’re a form of entertainment. If we’re taking really long out there, I mean, that’s not entertaining.

“I would say it was pretty positive around, yeah. No one really — I think it was more of people were asking how the rules officials time exactly. Like what if a rules official times — they don’t see the ball still moving on the green and they start the timer, but it’s not necessarily you’re time to hit because the other person — theoretically the ball is still moving, right, so your time shouldn’t start yet.

“There were questions about that. I think over time that’s going to be ironed out, and I think everyone is just — it’s going to be better for everyone that the rounds are going to be moving a little faster.”

What Korda said about slow play at The ANNIKA

The LPGA deserve credit for seemingly being ready to act to try and tackle slow play. Obviously, some will be reserving judgement until it becomes clear that they are prepared to make the tough calls.

But it definitely appears to have helped that the likes of Korda and Hull have not been afraid to speak out. Korda accused The ANNIKA of poor planning after she finished her third round in darkness late last year.

The LPGA Tour has an opportunity to earn a lot of respect from fans at a time when the women’s game has the potential to grow considerably. And it would be no surprise if many fans turned away from the PGA Tour and focused more on the LPGA if their rounds start to come under that five hour mark again in the future.