Jin Hee Im sped up, running off the green Saturday at El Caballero Country Club’s eighth hole after a birdie. “She goes to the ninth with a hop, skip and a jump,” announcer Grant Boone said on the Golf Channel broadcast.
However, the question is: What would have happened if I had played faster during the third round of the JM Eagle LA LPGA Championship?
Would she have won?
No one will ever know, of course – but the leaderboard would suggest so. On the 13th hole of Saturday’s third round, Im was hit with a one-stroke penalty for slow play, and a day later, Im, Hannah Green AND Se Young Kim needed a playoff to determine a winner as all three finished tied after regulation. For any of the three players, a shot would have made the difference – including what Im was credited with slow play.
After Sunday’s final round, Im spoke to reporters but was not asked about the penalty. GOLF.com attempted to contact LPGA communications officials for information on the penalty, but a message was not returned.
Those watching the LA Championship on Golf Channel learned of the penalty after Im birdied the 17th hole during the third round. During the fourth round, the offense was spotted several times on the air, including during the playoffs. which Green won. Said Boone: “And you go back to yesterday, Jin Hee Im was penalized a stroke for slow play. And you got the butterfly effect in the game here – you never know what would have happened if she was a lower stroke going into the day. This stroke certainly looms large here.” Analyst Morgan Pressel then added: “It’s been impressive the way she’s been able to bounce back after learning about that penalty yesterday.”
Specifically, the LPGA announced a “new pace of play policy” in February 2025. Under the new guidelines, if a player exceeds the time allotment by 1-5 seconds, she will receive a penalty. If a player goes 6-15 seconds over the split, she will be hit with a one-stroke penalty. Finally, if a player takes 16 or more seconds than is allowed, a two-stroke penalty will be assessed. (The LPGA’s full policy can be found here here.)
It was unclear how many slow-play penalties have been called since last February. Before last year’s LPGA season-ending event, Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols reported that three players received one-stroke penalties, and two players received two-stroke penalties.
Im’s penalty was also discussed on Golf Channel on Monday (and you can watch the clip here). There, Boone said I didn’t protest the penalty.
“At the end of the day, once Sunday got there,” he said, “it was over and off to golf.”
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