LPGA Tackling Pace of Play Issues With New Cut Rule

The league hopes this change will allow for faster play on weekends.

Beginning in March, the LPGA will attempt to curb ongoing pace of play issues with a change in the size of the 36-hole cut. 

On Wednesday, the LPGA announced that tournaments with a 36-hole cut will include the top 65 players and ties. Previously, LPGA Tour events set cut lines at the top 70 and ties, which often led to weekend fields of up to 80 players. 

“This new regulation, now more consistent with other professional golf organizations, will assist in ensuring a manageable field size after 36 holes of competition,” Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana, the senior vice president of Tour operations, said. 

“The change will provide increased chances of playing off a single tee on the weekend and help establish a faster pace of play in an effort to strengthen the competitor experience at LPGA Tournaments.”

The PGA Tour also decreased their cut sizes from 70 to 65 back in 2019. The LPGA will implement first implement the rule at the Drive On Championship from March 23-26 at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club. 

Pace of play problems have been apparent on the LPGA Tour for quite some time. At the 2020 Ladies Scottish Open, champion Stacy Lewis notably called out her two playing partners for “dreadfully slow” play. 

The LPGA hopes its new cut size rule will allow tournament officials to create twosome pairings on Saturdays and Sundays rather than threesomes. Additionally, organizers may be able to send players off the first tee, rather than split tees between the first and 10th holes.

“I don’t mind the new cut line,” Mina Harigae, the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open runner up, said. “It’s not drastically smaller and it does help curb the 80 to 85 player cut lines we have sometimes, which will in turn help with not having early morning weekend tee times.”

“I don’t know or think it will help pace of play all that much, the only reason it would help on weekends is if we play in twosomes off the first tee. That’s really the only time our place of play is faster,” Harigae added.