It’s a traffic jam at ANNIKA. The best players in the world spent their Saturday afternoon standing still, waiting for a chance to swing their clubs. The ANNIKA, known for its thoughtful course setup, turned sluggish. The reason? A significant yard adjustment. As frustration ensues among the players, this LPGA pro did not mince her words.

Jennifer Kupcho, sitting 13-under at solo second, was asked about the unexplained yard changes during her third-round presser. As if waiting for this question, Kupcho’s verdict was blunt. “It’s ridiculous. Makes it really slow. I think we waited so much today. It’s kind of ridiculous, honestly,”  she said. “But I think the setup was still fine. They do a really good job setting up this golf course every year. It’s a little frustrating when you’re the leader or in the back of the pack and having to wait on every shot.”

On Thursday, the course opened at 6,349 yards. But by Friday, for some apparent reason, the course officials trimmed it down to 6,222. A reduction of 127 yards, to be specific. Usually, the reason for such adjustments is better scoring opportunities, and that part held up. Overall, the field’s scoring average has dropped from 70.713 in Round 1 to 69.732 in Round 2.

Kupcho fired 66-66-65 through the first three rounds, including an eagle on par-5 14th on the second day. The next day, she had a bogey-free performance. She is one shot down from tying for first place with Linn Grant. So, in hindsight, it might seem like a wise decision to shorten the yard, but Kupcho’s complaint highlights the opposite.

The other reasons for such changes are to manage scoring curves, field separations, and the pace of play. Ironically, this one did the opposite. Players spent a longer time waiting for their turn and watching groups pile up ahead. The LPGA has not provided a specific explanation for the yardage change, as of now.

Interestingly, even last year, significant complaints surfaced about the slower pace of play. In The ANNIKA 2024, Nelly Korda and Charley Hull took over five hours and 38 minutes to complete their third round. By the time they were done, it was almost dark, and Golf Channel had to extend its broadcast window by 51 minutes.

Eventually, Hull ended up on T2 while Korda won her third ANNIKA trophy at home. After the result, though, Hull vocally expressed her frustration: “It’s ridiculous. And I feel sorry for the fans. How slow it is out there. So, it is pretty crazy.” Korda, too, agreed with the verdict, calling for stricter penalties for players who take extra time. “Players just need to be penalised.”

Perhaps to avoid last year’s slip-ups, the Tour changed the yardage midway? Well, if that’s the case, it surely backfired. Anyway, this was not the only complaint coming from the course this week.

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LPGA Tour officials under fire for broadcast mishaps

For Nelly Korda, a win at this year’s ANNIKA is the need of the hour. Not only will this make her the first person to win this event four times, but it will also add a win to her otherwise dry 2025 resume. Yet, she is struggling, currently at T8, with an 8-under par.

And while this adds a layer of intrigue for fans hoping to watch the action, the Tour’s broadcast has drowned it all out. The ANNIKA was cut from broadcast at 1 PM during the second round. In its place, Golf Channel opted to run the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, which, with no offence to anyone, is a smaller event. The fans could not watch Korda, Charley Hull, or the event’s head turner, Kai Trump, in action. They also missed most of Lexi Thompson, who’s rarely on the field anymore, in the round.

Michelle Wie West raised this complaint in a podcast. “Our broadcast needs a lot of work. When you compare the PGA Tour broadcast to our broadcast, the production value is not even comparable,” she said.

Looks like the LPGA needs to up its game to cool down several of these dissents.