The LPGA is updating its rate-of-play policy and rolling out tougher penalties in 2027 after the rate slipped during the 2026 season.
Players were informed of the changes by the Pace of Play Committee during a Tuesday meeting at The Annika in Belleair, Florida, the penultimate event of the LPGA season.
The updated policy will include more fines.
Previously, players who took one to five seconds over their allotted time to hit a shot were given two warnings before an end. Now the warnings are gone and the players will be fined immediately. Six to 15 seconds over the allowance remains a one-stroke penalty, but a fine will now be included, and 16 seconds or more remains a two-stroke penalty, but also comes with a fine.
The LPGA tracked data from the new policy it went into place in 2025 and came up with three main findings: that rate of play improved in 2025, but recently flatlined; increased warnings and penalties; and the number of timed holes increased by 12 percent.
Under the previous policy, there were three one-stroke penalties and two two-stroke penalties in 2025, and this year there were five one-stroke penalties and two two-stroke penalties. Recently, Carlota Ciganda and Yealimi Noh were each given a two-stroke penalty for slow play at the Buick LPGA Shanghai last month.
Nelly Korda and Charley Hull, two of the LPGA’s most popular (and fastest) players, were asked about politics on The Annika on Wednesday. Both were in favor of the changes.
“I’m a big fan,” Korda said. “Anything to get the game a little bit faster for us players, for the fans, for everybody, I think they’re doing a really good job. I mean, at the end of the day, nobody wants to be here for five more hours. Nobody wants to. Nobody wants to watch. I think we’re just going in the right direction.”
Beyond the fines that will be introduced in 2027, two other changes have also been announced: A player who reaches 35 timed holes will be fined (from 40); and the time allowed for a shot was decreased from 70 seconds to 60 seconds.
“Rate of play is important to our players, our fans and our partners, and we are committed to reviewing our policy every year to make sure it works,” an LPGA spokesperson told GOLF. “After a careful look at this season’s data and conversations with our players, we are strengthening the policy for 2027 with tighter time limits and stronger early consequences for players who exceed them. Going forward, we will continue to measure, we will continue to listen to our players and we will continue to adjust as we work to further improve the pace of play.”
After this week’s Annika, the LPGA season concludes next week with the season-long CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples.
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