Georgia Hall says slow players should be hit at all times

Former winner Georgia Hall expressed her views on slow play in the build up to this week's AIG Women's Open at Royal Troon. Picture: Tristan Jones

Georgia Hall, the 2018 AIG Women's Open champion, believes players should be penalised for slow play, even if it cost them the chance of winning a tournament.

The Englishwoman was reacting to American Stacy Lewis hitting out at slow play after the final group took five hours and 16 minutes to play the last round in the ASI Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance.

Lewis, who won the title in a play-off at the East Lothian venue, called for "aggressive" action to be taken in a bid to crack down on slow play in the women's game, which is set to be in the spotlight again this week as Royal Troon stages the AIG Women's Open for the first time.

"I personally don't think they should be," replied Hall to being asked if she felt rules officials were scared of becoming the story by handing out penalties when titles were on the line.

"Personally, I don't think it matters whether you're playing a final round or the first round. If someone is being extremely slow and holding up play, then I believe that they should get penalised

"I don't think it should matter whether it's the last round or not. If someone is being slow, I think they need to be kind of told to hurry up a little bit."

Hall, who is relishing this week's historic event on the Ayrshire coast, added of last week's links warm up on the other side of the country: "It was just slow in places.

"Especially in links golf on very tricky holes where you're in thick rough, you need time to find the ball, etc. It's just kind of handling it and doing the best we can as players to keep within the time slots."

Charley Hull, who is bidding for her maiden major win this week, also added her voice to the slow play debate in the build up to Thursday's first round.

"I wish they would play a lot faster because I hate slow play," she said. "I get so bored and I suppose people do as as well.

"People don't want to be sat there for hours and hours watching a slow game. I get told a lot, like it's crazy how slow we play.

"Usually when I'm at home with my friends we go around in like three hours and on Tour, last week, I played five hours and 40 minutes.

"It's easy golf. At the end of the day, it's like you have a yardage and it's kind of sometimes obvious what club it is. Like just hit it. Sometimes people fart around too much.

"It can get very, very frustrating. I get bored sometimes, so I just doodle in my book, like draw little hearts and colour them in."

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