The pace of play has been the biggest concern for players and fans in recent times. The slow pace not only affects the momentum of the game but also affects the viewership. Even though there is a new policy with stricter penalties for players not adhering to the timeline. But there is more that needs to be addressed, says the 41x LPGA Tour winner. In brief, with her vast experience as a professional, she shared the foundational issue that could resolve the issue forever.

Recently, the seven-time major winner, Karrie Webb, featured on the Mixed Bag podcast, along with Meg Adkins and Matthew Galloway. The Australian professional who joined the circuit in 1994 has been among the top names on the tour. In fact, since the last 3 decades, she has observed the crucial changes on the tour, be it with the play or the pace.

Considering her experience, Galloway asked about the hot and trending topic, which is the pace issue; she had some insights that need to be taken care of. He asked, “In your prime back in the early 2000s, was the pace of play such an issue as it is now, or do you take that as a whole new kinda different thing now?”

Answering that, Webb said, “I mean I have always talked about it, if we play for over 4 and a half hours, we were slow, and now that if you play 4 and a half hours, you are winning.” She made the bold statement laughingly, but that is the fact. Currently, the Tour’s average time to complete the round is 4 hours and 40 minutes. Though this has been the issue for a long time now. But being a senior professional, she has been a strong advocate for adding policy and even talking in favor of the policies.

But with the bold statement of Karrie Webb, it left Galloway guessing, “I am wondering what changed all that?” Well, despite the new pace of play policy, there isn’t a drastic change. As this is not a habit that comes in after becoming professional, but rather a foundation issue. Speaking for that, she said, “Yeah, I don’t know. I think when kids are being taught a pre-shot routine when they are six and seven years old, I think that doesn’t help.” When taught to make the right shot at the age of 6-7 years, it is the routine that becomes a habit of players that continues to affect them as professionals.

After the issue pointed out by Webb, the panelist Meg Adkins also shared how her kids, of 9 and 8, worked on a pre-shot routine with their group lesson. Though the issue that starts at a young age takes lots of years to get rid of. In fact, that might be the issue pros might be facing. On one side, addressing the time constraint is a problem. On the other hand, players waiting feel the frustration building. Well, this is an issue that the golfers have faced the most, and Nelly Korda is in strong favor of addressing it.

Korda insists on stricter penalties for the pace of play issue

Recently, during the Evian Championship, Korda was asked about the concern of slow play. Nelly Korda said, “I think the longer the rounds are, the more mentally draining sometimes they get. I mean, you just have to kind of s—- it up, build a bridge to get over it, and adjust to the circumstances at hand.” With the time decided for the player, that is, 4 and a half hours to complete 18 holes, the long play gets complicated. In fact, that has happened many times to the player. But now the new rule was introduced this year. Notably, she is in favor of it as it has helped the pace of play.

Taking for the same, she said, “At the end of the day, I think that if you start giving penalties to girls taking too long, then they’re not going to want to get penalized a shot or two. That can make a really big difference in whatever they want, prize money, cut, whatever. So they’re going to speed up at the end of the day. So the harsher the circumstances, the more they’re going to change.” The penalty of strokes can make a huge difference on the leaderboard, and no player would want that to happen.

Now with the new rule implementation, the penalty or slow pace issue has been decreased drastically. But will it be the end of it with the rule, or will it require foundational changes? What are your thoughts on it? Share with us in the comments below.