1–5 seconds extra means it’s a fine. 6–15 seconds gets golfers a one-stroke penalty. Yet, golf’s spirit is being undermined by slow play. With timing being crucial in professional golf, slow play has become a major problem. Recent competitions have shown how long rounds may throw off the game’s pace, frustrating both players and spectators. During the 2024 AIG Women’s Open, viewers expressed their annoyance as groups took more than two hours to finish just six holes, making the viewing experience a patience test.

In response, the LPGA implemented a new pace-of-play regulation that would stiffen penalties for players who go over their allocated time starting on March 27, 2025. Players who exceed the restriction by 1–5 seconds will be fined, those who delay for 6–15 seconds will receive a one-stroke penalty, and those who delay for 16 seconds or longer will receive a two-stroke penalty. Prominent gamers like Nelly Korda have endorsed this action, stressing the necessity of constant enforcement to preserve the integrity of the game. Recently, during an Exclusive Interview with EssentiallySports, Lilia Vu analyzed this narrative on how slow play affects players.

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Lilia Vu Opens Up About Slow Play Lays Toll on Her Performance

LPGA standout Lilia Vu discussed her experience with the negative consequences of sluggish play in an EssentiallySports Exclusive with Andrew Whitelaw. In the final rounds of a recent competition, Vu ended up in the last group and had to deal with considerable delays. She described waiting about fifteen minutes before shooting her strokes on the 17th fairway and the 18th tee. The long pauses had an impact on Vu’s physical state and performance. “I don’t have the best back, so that definitely did kind of ice me out a little bit, and then I kind of got tight on 18,” she stated. 

Vu stressed that she is one of the fastest players on the tour, as is her playing partner, Charley Hull. Despite this, their last round lasted more than four hours, as opposed to the first group’s three hours and thirty-three minutes. “We could have been done hours ago,” taking offense at the needless hold-ups. “No one wants to be out there forever. Just get your number and hit your shot,” she added during the ES Exclusive. She believes the new tempo-of-play policy will motivate all players to keep up a faster pace.

Vu’s open observations highlight the mental and physical difficulties with slow play and the significance of the LPGA’s new regulations. The Tour seeks to improve players’ and fans’ overall experience by resolving these problems for a consistently interesting game.