DP World Tour Rookie Hit With Slow-Play Penalty in First Professional Start

Jacob Skov Olesen was hit with a slow penalty during the first round of the BMW PGA Championship.

Jacob Skov Olesen, pictured during his Texas Christian University playing days, was penalized for slow play in his first DP World Tour start. / The Desert Sun-USA TODAY NETWORK

Golf fans and players alike have been clamoring for slow play penalties to be enforced, and the DP World Tour has apparently listened.

On Thursday in Australia, a young potential star was hit with a costly one-stroke penalty during the first round of the BMW Australian PGA Championship.

Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen, the 2024 British Amateur champion who had advanced through DP World Tour Q School, was making his first pro start in the tour's 2024-25 season opener when he was penalized.

The 25-year-old took 130 seconds to hit his approach shot into the 10th hole, which is well above the 40 seconds allotted for players to take a shot once it's deemed their turn.

Earlier this week, LPGA star Charley Hull said she believes “ruthless” penalties need to be enforced for slow play.

“Listen, if you get three bad timings, every time it’s a tee shot penalty,’” Hull said. “If you have three of them, you lose your tour card instantly. I’m sure that would hurry a lot of people up and they won't want to lose their tour card.

“That would kill the slow play, but they would never do that.”

Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick also criticized the lack of slow play rules enforcement on social media this week.

He’s so right, pathetic that pace of play is spoke about every year and nothing ever gets done 😴 https://t.co/gvFNCQHHwQ

— Matt Fitzpatrick (@MattFitz94) November 19, 2024

The DP World Tour enforcing a play so soon after many stars have spoken on the issue may very well be a sign that the major tours are listening to their players.