Slow play is despised by all golfers, and incidents involving a glacial pace of play often rile up lovers of the game. The hard truth, though, is that most players, especially recreational players, are slower than they think. So while we should all work toward faster rounds, none of us should be quick to judge.
It appears certain LPGA officials don’t agree.
According to a report by Golfweek, LPGA rookie Yealimi Noh received a $10,000 fine for slow play at last week’s Kia Classic, after a rules official gave her bad times on two holes. The cost of the fine was compounded due to a previous slow play penalty Noh received in her very first LPGA event last year.
“As much as I think about it’s a good learning experience,” Noh told Golfweek at the ANA Inspiration, “obviously now I’m never going to do that again hopefully, which is good. It’s hard to get over; that’s a lot of money.”
A lot of money, indeed.
It’s important to keep in mind that LPGA pros play for much smaller purses than their counterparts on the PGA Tour, so $10,000 is a much bigger hit.
Perhaps too big in Noh’s case. She finished T61 at the Kia, earning her a paycheck of $4,247. Which means once the fine is taken into account Noh actually lost over $5,000 for making the cut that week. Without taking the fine into account, her total earnings through three events in 2021 — all made cuts — are $15,742.
