"I’ll believe it when I see it", "Maybe the PGA will follow suit": Fans react to LPGA's new measures to address slow play

The LPGA Tour is adopting stiff penalties to try and combat pace of play issues. They are not the only golf tour plagued by this issue presently, but they have swiftly enacted some changes to try and offset the problem.

There will still be a warning system, and players will be penalized for excessive shot timing. There's still a target timing, and fines will double the next year. All of it is set to remain the same.

New changes include:

• Penalties up to five seconds will result in a fine
• Six to 15 seconds results in a stroke penalty
• 16 seconds or more results in a two-stroke penalty

They are also no longer allowing the first player hitting on par fours and par fives to have an extra 10 seconds (except on reachable par 4s). The first golfers on par threes, approach shots, and putts will still get those 10 seconds.

This new change has fans debating whether or not it will work and if the PGA Tour needs to follow suit with the advanced penalties.

"I’ll believe it when I see it," wrote a user by the X handle - billsrock12

"This is a memo. How it gets done is actually enforcement of said memo. I’ll believe it when I see it," another noted.

"It will be the same as the PGA - they will put a group “on the clock”…. And nothing more. Maybe they will penalize some random nobody player in 125th place on Thursday but will never penalize someone like Korda. LPGA and PGA are not serious organizations," one said.

"Carlota Ciganda going to shoot 112 every round," another joked.

"Maybe the PGA will follow suit," another X user wrote.

"Yes we need this changes," one added.

"Finally strokes, it's about dang time. When will the PGA do the same? Stroke penalty for these guys will change their pace of play faster than anything," another said.

"Again, PGAT lagging behind other tours. No forward thinking," one noted.

Many fans are concerned that the LPGA Tour will not enforce these strictly, and others believe that the PGA Tour needs to take these rules and add more to them to make a true impact.

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Nelly Korda is excited about the new LPGA pace-of-play rules

Nelly Korda, a golfer, not known for playing slow, is particularly happy that the LPGA Tour is adding new pace of play rules. The world number one thinks this will help the product.

Nelly Korda supports the LPGA Tour's new changes (Image via Imagn)

She said via Sports Illustrated:

“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 went on:

“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.”

These new sanctions and rules will get into effect at the Ford Championship on March 27, so they're not immediate changes.