The 29 players of the Tournament of Champions, which kicks off the 2023 LPGA season in Lake Nona, Florida, are not being treated as they should be. The rules imposed on their female counterparts for the season-opening event at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club near Orlando (Florida) are truly befitting their status.
Deprived of lockers, the 29 players present at the start of the Tournament of Champions will probably have to change shoes in the parking lot. LPGA Tour players can use the showers in the women’s locker room but will not have a closet to store their belongings while on the course.
Indeed, the area where the lockers are located is in the locker room allocated to male members and has not been privatized.
LPGA, rules
The information note that was sent to players ahead of the tournament setting out these restrictions also indicates that the driving range will only be open to them one hour before their departure times on training days.
In summary, it is not possible to train with your coach before the tournament. Lake Nona is however the club where many professional players have taken up residence. It was here in 1990 that the first Solheim Cup took place.
The bride and world number 1, Lydia Ko, owns a house in the resort, as does Annika Sörenstam. It is therefore certainly for economic reasons that the management of the LPGA has decided to ignore the services usually in force, to the chagrin of the players.
The Rules of Golf are a set of standard rules and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and maintained by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body for golf worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association.
An expert commission made up of members of the R&A and USGA, oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision has been in force since January 1, 2016. Changes to the rules of golf generally fall into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that in certain cases reduce penalties to ensure balance.
The rule book, entitled “Rules of Golf”, is published on a regular basis and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy it is up to Federgolf to supervise the competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R & A, checking that these rules are observed by the Clubs, Associations and their members and manages the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.
