It started almost four decades ago when TV viewers heard one golf legend, Tom Watson, give another legend, Lee Trevino, advice during the 1980 Tournament of Champions at La Costa. A fan dialed up the PGA tour, said he saw Watson commit an infraction and after video review, bingo, he was assessed a 2-stroke penalty.
Sunday, a fan called into the LPGA and said he saw Lexi Thompson on Saturday at the ANA Inspiration place her ball down in front of her mark on the 17th hole about one inch from where it technically should have been placed. As a result, the then current tournament leader incurred a mind blowing 4-stroke penalty, effectively stealing the first major championship of the year from the 22-year-old Florida native.
As Golf.com reported, Thompson was penalized two strokes for playing from the wrong place. On top of that, consequently, another 2-stroke penalty was tacked on for signing an incorrect scorecard after her Saturday round for not accounting for the assessed 2-stroke penalty.
Thompson, the fifty-four hole leader, commandeered the top of the leaderboard, ahead by two strokes on Sunday, when she was notified on the 12th hole by an official that she incurred the penalty. The penalties dropped her into second place and two strokes behind the leader. Thompson battled back to tie So Yeon Ryu to enter a sudden death playoff, but her fairy tale ending crashed when Ryu sunk a birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win her second major title.
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6 comments:
I watched that game on Saturday and Sunday, noticing the infraction myself but never thought about complaining. It looked like a simple mistake. Lexi is a true professional, even though she lost four strokes she still made it to a playoff hole with So Yuon Ryu. Too bad she didn't eagle that playoff hole, that would have been sweet!
Everyone learns in kindergarten that nobody likes a tattletale.
I don't understand; it says she placed her ball in front of her marker. You always place the marker behind your ball so that when the ball is replaced it *should* be in front of her marker. Whar am I missing here?
The birdy that cost her the game is called a stool pigeon
I cannot for the life of me understand why the PGA would even entertain a complaint from anyone that is not a player or official on the course. Are people at home going to start calling balls and strikes.The rules of golf cover everything and last time I looked it didn't include people at home in their underwear calling in.
1:58 Read again! she placed it too far in front of the marker!!!
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