PACE OF PLAY

A.    Pace of Play Policy
The following conditions and policies shall regulate Rule 6-7 of the Rules of Golf; Undue Delay,
Slow Play as defined by the LPGA Rules Committee:

1.  In accordance with Rule 6-7, every player must play without undue delay.

2.  A time par sheet will be created by the LPGA Rules Official staff before each round.  The time par sheet will represent the amount of time allotted for each group to finish each hole during each tournament round.

3.  “Out of Position”: Each player is responsible for maintaining her group’s position on the course in relation to the field.  A group in considered “out of position” if they: 1) reach any position on the course as much as a starting interval behind the preceding group, b) have not left the tee of a par 4 before the preceding group has holed out, or c) have not reached the spot where their second shots have come to rest on a par 5 before the preceding group has holed out.  Note:  A reachable par 5 may be treated as a par 4.

4.  Groups with the first tee times of the day (“lead groups”) will be expected to play at a reasonable pace as determined by the time par chart.  Groups immediately following the lead groups may not be considered “out of position” behind an exceptionally fast lead group as long as they are maintaining a pace under the time par.

5.  One (1) Time Warning:  It is the responsibility of each player to be aware of her group’s position on the course and the group’s time relative to the time par.  A group that is out of position and/or over their time par will be issued one (1) warning per round by an LPGA Rules Official.  Once warned, the group will be given the opportunity, on the following hole, to improve their position in relation to the preceding group or show improvement with regard to their time par.  Such improvement will be judged by the groups return to position in relation to the preceding group and/or a significant reduction in their time over the time par.

6.  Commencing of Timing:  Timing of a player officially commences when, by the discretion of the LPGA Official, it is clearly the player’s turn to play and nothing interferes with her ability to play the stroke.  Time taken for determining yardage, club selection, wind conditions, etc. will count against the player’s overall time.  On the putting green, timing commences after a player, by the discretion of an LPGA Rules Official, has had a reasonable amount of time to repair ball marks and remove loose impediments on her line of putt.  Timing may commence before a player has replaced her ball on the putting green. A few additional seconds will be allotted to the first player in the group to play a: 1) tee shot on a par 3, 2) second shot, 3) chip shot, or 3) putt. Every effort will be made by an LPGA Rules Official to notify a group when timing has commenced, however, timings accrued prior to such notification shall count towards a player’s overall average for a given hole.  Once a group has been warned or timing on the group has commenced, every effort will be made to notify the following group that the group ahead has been warned or is being timed.

7.  Penalties: A two (2) stroke penalty for breach of Rule 6-7 will be assessed if the player, while being timed by an LPGA Official, is found to do one of the following: 1) takes in excess of sixty (60) seconds to play any given shot, or 2) exceeds the average amount of time for the total strokes taken on a given hole by more than ten (10) seconds.  The only exception to Rule 6-7 would be an “extraordinary circumstance” as determined by the LPGA Rules Official.

8.  Target Timing:  The Rules Committee reserves the right to time an individual player when the Rules Committee deems it necessary (“Target Timing”).  The LPGA Official will make an effort to inform the individual player being timed; however, an individual player may be timed without warning.  Fines and penalties for players begin target timed will accrue as if the player’s group was being timed.

9.  On-Site Appeals:  Player’s receiving a notification of timing will have the ability to appeal the timing incident to the Timing Appeals Committee during the tournament week in which she received the timing notice.  The Timing Appeals Committee will be composed of the tournament’s Lead Rules Official and the Rules Official who signed the timing notification in question.  Should the Lead Official and the Rules Official issuing the timing notification be one in the same, the tournament’s Advance Official will take part in that appeal process as a member of the Appeals Committee.  Should the Lead, Rules and Advance Official be one in the same, the most senior member of the tournament’s Rule Officiating staff will take part in that appeal process as a member of the Appeals Committee.

10. To appeal a specific timing, the player must verbally communicate her intention to appeal the timing incident to either member of the tournament’s Timing Appeals Committee. Once the player has notified the Timing Appeals Committee of her intention to appeal the timing incident, the player and the Timing Appeals Committee must mutually agree to a time, prior to the conclusion of the tournament, to meet.  During that meeting the player will have the opportunity to state the basis for her appeal.  The player will be notified as to whether her appeal has been granted or denied prior to the conclusion of the tournament. In the event that a player is timed during the final round of a tournament, the player must notify the tournament’s Timing Appeals Committee of her intent to appeal the timing.  The deadline for such an appeal is one (1) hour after the conclusion of tournament play.  If the conclusion of play precludes the ability of the player to meet with the Timing Appeals Committee to state the basis for her appeal, the player must contact the Lead Rules Official and use her best efforts to mutually agree upon a time to meet with the tournament’s Timing Appeals Committee.  The appeal process may take place via a conference call between the said parties but must be completed within seven  (7) days from the conclusion of the tournament in which the player was notified of the timing.

11. Specific policies for timing slow play are determined by the LPGA Officials in consultation with the LPGA Player Executive Committee.

B.  Pace of Play Rules
A player in a group which is out of position may be penalized for undue delay if:
1.  The player takes more than sixty (60) seconds to play one shot, including putts; and/or
2.  The player exceeds the average amount of time for the total strokes taken on a given hole by more than ten (10) seconds.

Example:
Average time per stroke:  30 seconds
Score on hole         Average         Penalty
3                         90 seconds      101 seconds
4                        120 seconds      131 seconds
5                        150 seconds      161 seconds
6                        180 seconds      191 seconds

Note: Putts of approximately two (2) feet or less that can be hit within ten (10) seconds or less may be deemed tap-ins and, therefore, do not adversely affect a player’s average time for that hole.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 6 – 7:      Stroke play = two (2) strokes    Match play = loss of hole
Second offense during a stipulated round = disqualification.

Fine Criteria:
Fines will be issued according to a combination of the following timing occurrences:
1.  Number of times a player is timed during one (1) season
2.  Number of times a player plays the total of each of her timed shots in an average of more than 30 seconds (“plus times”) during the course of one (1) timing incident
3.  Number of times a player is in a group that is timed more than three (3) consecutive holes

Fines:
Any combination of the first eight occurrences of any of the above instances $2500
Each additional occurrence in excess of first eight occurrences: $1000

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