Thompson hit with four-shot penalty in final round

But the question of fairness remains unanswered: Is a rules violation decision rendered more than 24 hours after a round has been complete either fair or equitable? While the dismay is fresh, though, here’s one that needs to find its way into the book. A viewers calls in a rule a day late or ever. She wanted video review to be addressed.

Lexi Thompson lost the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the LPGA season, after a TV viewer’s email led to a four-stroke penalty for the young star.

You know it’s 2017 when…

This wasn’t live television, though.

A devastated Thompson said she would learn from the incident, which prompted an outpouring of sympathy around the golfing world.

Fortunately for Bobby, playing a ball from the wrong place was not specifically addressed in the rules back in 1957.

“I just tried to gather myself before I made that tee shot, and made a great putt there”, said Thompson, who was trying add a second ANA Inspiration title to the one she captured in 2014.

According to a statement, the LPGA stated a television viewer brought forth the infraction by email.

Ryu went off the back of the green with her second shot in the playoff, while Thompson drove into the rough and couldn’t reach in two.

These intrepid at-home officials rarely pick up someone making a violation when they are on the cusp of missing the cut or out of contention.

Kerr was moved at how fans around the 18 began chanting “Lexi”, how they rallied for her so empathetically, but she didn’t like how some fans seemed to root for Ryu’s last approach shot to get in the water during their playoff.

Two strokes were given for wrongly marking the ball’s placement on the green, and another two were given for writing down the wrong score on the scorecard. Two more for signing an incorrect Saturday scorecard. He made a double bogey with a wild drive on the second hole, and then hit driver off the deck into the water on the par-5 fourth hole to drop another shot. She then had an eagle putt on the last to win in regulation but had to settle for a birdie and a playoff with Ryu. Both carded birdies on the 18th hole to edge out to 14-under and head to a playoff, but it was the South Korean that prevailed under sudden death. Golf Channel televised live.

“I just can not believe the situation”, said Ryu, who also won the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open. “I didn’t even check the leaderboard, Lexi was playing so well”. We didn’t expect what happened to Lexi. I am proud. Just the way I played coming in.

At the men’s U.S. Open at Oakmont previous year, Dustin Johnson won despite playing the last seven holes without knowing his score. As she now realised she was actually 2-shots off the lead. The following month at the U.S. Women’s Open, as Brittany Lang and Anna Nordqvist battled it out during the final round of the tournament a relook at Nordqvist’s second hole revealed she had “grounded” her club in the bunker. And now this – a delayed flag if there ever was one. The penalty clock should expire once the first group starts play the following round, if not sooner.

Again to her credit, Thompson spoke well in defeat.

Thompson asked if the pronouncement was a joke. But there has to be a statute of limitations, one that doesn’t throw a Sunday into turmoil.

Golf Digest’s Ron Sirak offered a reasoned opinion of the wisdom of permitting viewers to call in rules infractions.

“Well it was an emotional day here for me”.

A month ago, the USGA and the R&A proposed 30 changes to the Rules of Golf to make them more consistent, fair and straight forward. Try telling someone that 12 holes into the next round. Thompson then traded a birdie at the 15th with a bogey at the 16th.