Slow play is something that has been bothering golfers and fans a lot. It takes the fun out of playing and watching. Both players and fans feel that it is high time for the Tours to do something about it. On one hand, the PGA Tour is reducing its field sizes, but the LPGA Tour has not taken any concrete action yet. Players like Nelly Korda and Charley Hull have outwardly spoken about the pace of play. Hull even suggested that the Tour cards of the pros should be taken away. It is now Angel Yin’s turn to share her two cents about the plaguing issue.
In a recent interview with Chantel McCabe, Yin discussed the issue of slow play and how it may be improved in “All Square.” According to the LPGA pro, “The players can improve on being faster, but at the end of the day, I think the course setup isn’t promoting fast play. Then, no matter how fast the player can play, the course is too difficult. They’re going to score a higher score. So, I think it can be spaced out correctly.”
She continued, “There are some holes that we would play in a tournament where a rope official is just there. I think it’s good to play in difficult golf courses” She further expressed how for her, it’s not just about the game – it’s about her livelihood. “I think it’s good to play in difficult golf courses, and I love difficult golf courses, but if it’s unreasonable, then maybe that’s an issue. Then we can’t move along because we’re playing for a livelihood,” she emphasized.
Yin mentioned that she and other golfers are not playing the sport for leisure but to earn money, “So, it’s not like we can just play like a Sunday golf round where we just don’t give a crap. We just hit it around, shoot 72, and then go home and have a beer with our buddies. It’s different. This is our life. It’s like we go to a company, and their CEO wants the exact numbers from the accounts, not just an estimate.”
She also remembered her first year on the LPGA Tour and reflected upon how “it was so slow.” “I think I could have made a taco, put the taco stand away, and then eaten the taco, sat down, rested, and then hit my golf shot, and it still would’ve been okay,” Yin added with a grin. She then concluded by saying, “I think players are actively trying to be better. But we have to start thinking it up.”
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For Yin, who has been vocal about her frustrations with the Tour, it’s time for a change. A while ago, when she was asked if Tour was able to capitalize on the rising fame properly, she declined saying, “No.” She mentioned that the buzz around Caitlin Clark playing in an LPGA pro-am last week “didn’t feel like it got out there enough.” Yin whenever speaks, she makes sure to light up the room with her charming persona, so for her to speak so passionately about the slowplay again points out that this issue needs to be addressed soon.
“It’s not just about the players taking too long to hit their shots,” but the course design also has a significant impact. It’s not the first time Yin has emphasized this. She did it previously as well.
This is a developing story..
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