It is evident that change is everything. And sport is no alien to change. And so it is also happening on The Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour (LPGA Tour). Like the PGA Tour, the leading women’s golf circuit decided to introduce modifications to the qualifying cut of its full-field tournaments. Until now, the last 36 holes of a championship were reserved for the top 70, and those tied for 70th place. With the modification, the cut will be for the first 65 and those tied for the 65th position.
“This new regulation, intended to set a standard with other professional golf organizations, will help ensure a manageable course size after 36 holes of competition,” said Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana, senior vice president of operations at the LPGA Tour.
Logically, this change happens after consensus with the players and will be implemented from March 23 to 26 at the LPGA Drive On Championship. This tournament will be played in Gold Canyon, Arizona, and will award $1,750,000 in prize money.
LPGA Media Alert: @LPGA Announces Change to Tournament Cut Sizes pic.twitter.com/VHe7UklZpH
— LPGA Media (@LPGAMedia) February 15, 2023
One of the purposes of this modification is to increase the chances of playing from a single tee on the weekend, allowing for a faster pace of play. For this last objective, the help of the players is also required, who will have to add a bit more rhythm to their game routines. In short, the LPGA Tour seeks to improve the show’s quality and the dynamics of each tournament.
As is happening with many sports, this type of decision seeks to improve the game’s rhythm and adjust the attraction with the spectators in the best possible way. Currently, the LPGA Tour has a calendar of 34 tournaments that are played in the United States, France, Scotland, England, Thailand, Singapore, Northern Ireland, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, Spain, China, and Japan.
