Just when we thought the slow-play saga on the LPGA Tour might simmer down, given the new three-tier policy announced earlier this year, the issue is boiling over once again. During the first round of the major championship at Fields Ranch East, players were already battling the scorching heat. And things only got worse, as the last few groups took nearly six hours each to finish their rounds, causing a stir among fellow players, fans, and critics alike.

“Took the last group six hours to play today. Long waits on the tees coming in. Just a brutal day in the heat,” Golf Week writer Beth Ann Nichols posted on her X, echoing widespread irritation. Despite the new policies in place, which include players facing fines and two-stroke penalties for slow play, the issue is far from resolved. This is yet another slow-play instance that comes only a few weeks after Lexi Thompson found herself at the center of a slow-play storm at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open.

So, Lexi was paired with Nelly Korda and Charley Hull during the first two rounds at Erin Hills and caused a stir on social media when Hull was assumed to be visibly frustrated with Thompson’s slow play. Charley Hull, who is known to be a quick player, was spotted sitting on the 9th tee box while Thompson was still putting on the 8th green. Some fans captured the sighting, and it was immediately circulated in the media, which declared Thompson a slow player. By the way, Lexi didn’t take without chiming in with thoughts of her own.

“Want people to realize our group basically waited on every single hole on the group in front; we were never out of position/warned or on the clock. I’ll be the first one to say I’m not as fast as my playing partners on the two days, but I’m also the last person that wants to be out there for six hours. So before you make assumptions, make sure you get all the facts right before basing it on pictures and little clips. That’s all!” Thompson clarified in a post, hitting back at trolls.

Charley Hull has been very clear about her feelings in the past when it comes to slow play. “It’s crazy. I’m quite ruthless. But if you have three of them, you lose your tour card instantly. Go back to Q School,” Hull suggested brutally, that if players have three bad timings, they should lose their tour card immediately, at The Annika last year. She also added that she felt sorry for the fans having to watch the incredibly snail-paced rounds—”It“’s ridiculous, and I feel sorry for the fans about how slow it is out there.”

“Nobody, I mean, even if you’re the biggest golfing fan, nobody wants to be out there for as long as possible,” Lydia Ko said ahead of the 2024 CME Group Tour Championship. Even World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who is one of the fastest players on tour, believes that you cannot think and plan too much for every shot. “I don’t know. Just always like my first instinct is just the best instinct. You see it, you hit it,” Korda said. Slow play is also her biggest pet peeve.

While Thompson did clarify that she was not the only one playing slowly this week at Field Ranch, she was one of the last 10 groups to tee off from the 10th. It’s not just her or a particular player that is the problem; it’s an issue collectively for the LPGA Tour. Overall, slow play is not only causing frustration among fellow players by ruining their momentum but also increasingly leaving fans exasperated.

Fans ask for the inclusion of the shot clock

“The PGA and LPGA both need shot clocks. This is unacceptable,” one frustrated fan reacted, highlighting the frequency of the slow-play issue in recent times. And it’s not just on the LPGA. Even the PGA Tour has seen rounds going beyond the allotted time, such as Scottie Scheffler‘s marathon five-and-a-half-hour round on the 2nd day of the 2025 U.S. Open. The shot clock was introduced in the golf world in TGL, and it was a huge success.

“It’s also women’s golf. Although there were some near 6-hour rounds at Oakmont last week as well. But not the norm,” wrote another, echoing the similar emotion. “#shotclockshotclockshotclock,“ wrote another fan, clearly emphasizing what needs to be done.

“Absurd,” wrote another fan, and rightfully so! “Something’s got to change. The “new” pace of play initiatives don’t work,” another fan chimed in, slamming the growing epidemic of slow play despite the new policy, which was announced in February this year. And really, who wants to sit through a game that crawls along when it’s already a time commitment?

Another fan pointed out the only saving grace of watching from home: the fast-forward button. “The new commissioner has work to do, because only diehard fans will watch this, and, being honest, I watched from a recording so I could fast forward,” the fan added, pointing to Craig Kessler to step on the gas to solve the issue. He has many plans for the LPGA Tour’s growth, and curbing slow play should be one of them.

What are your thoughts on curbing slow play?