Take a look at the picture here.
You see Lexi Thompson crying a river of tears at the ANA Inspiration, the LPGA’s first major of the season.
She had good reason.
A lot of us were crying with and for her.
Your memory might serve you that the LPGA screwed up royally on this one and now the USGA and the R&A have come to the rescue, albeit a little too late for Thompson to win that major championship.
If we take a quick trip back to the final round of the ANA on Sunday, April 2, you might recall that the LPGA Rules Buffoons informed young Lexi as she walked off the 12th green, that they were assessing her a four-shot penalty — an unprecedented move in professional championship golf.
Lexi’s response echoed ours and probably everyone else’s when she asked: “Is this a joke?”
It was a joke of a move by the LPGA, allowing some anonymous emailer to effect the outcome of a major championship. It wasn’t even a phone call for goodness sakes!
Thompson’s sin was not remarking her ball in exactly the same spot she had marked it on the 17th hole Saturday for a one-foot putt. Yes, a one freaking foot putt! It wasn’t closer to the hole, no competitive advantage was gained and her playing partners couldn’t even notice it. Thompson herself was totally unaware.
But the LPGA rules trolls got all over it, albeit a day late and it cost Thompson dearly.
As of now, Lexi did no wrong. A rule has not been written but the USGA and the R&A have added a crucial decision to assure that sort of crapola won’t happen again.
Add this to: Decision To The Rules, Decision 34-3/10.
It refers to and brings into play something the LPGA was lacking and that is: “Reasonable standard of judgement” along with the new “naked eye” portion of it, not to be confused with totally naked.
The decision poo-poos this television replay stuff, conceding: “He or she should not be held to the “degree of precision” that can sometimes be provided by video technology. So long as the player does what can reasonably be expected under the circumstances to make an accurate determination. The player’s reasonable judgement will be accepted, even if later shown to be inaccurate by the use of video evidence.”
Huge.
Too bad they can’t make it retro-active. Grab the trophy and the title back from So Yeon Ryu and give it to the rightful winner — Lexi Thompson.
What makes you take notice here is that the stuffed-shirt USGA didn’t dilly-dally with this decision.
Thomas Pagel from said USGA put this out for everyone:
“The urgency here was we knew we had a solution and we wanted to act quickly. It’s the right thing for the game.”
The USGA did come up with the Dustin Johnson rule so they never again have to deal with the crap they created at last year’s U.S. Open when the USGA tried its best to steal a title from D.J. But he played so well he wouldn’t let ’em do it.
Next thing all the governing bodies need to tackle is this bull-spit stuff of viewers calling in, emailing, texting or whatever it is they do when they’ve got nothing better to do.
That needs to go away and go away forever.
And ever.
6 Comments
doug@bkassociates.net
No, this needed to go away NOW! They again dropped the ball. When the round is finished, the score are done. No calling in, e-mailing, sending homing pigeons whatever to give and opinion. Can you imagine this in the NFL? This is still wrong. The question is: will they ever get it right?
Tom Edrington
The decision is now in the books and basically assures that it won’t happen again. No rule change, just an important “decision” that rules folks can refer to and avoid any more messy situations like the one that cost Lexi. But yes, Doug, time to bid adios to callers, emailers and what have you…..we’re all for that as you are!
tony Villani
The truth is no one can say it was intentional and no one can say it was innocent. The 17th green has a lot of slope and it was after heavy double round play and lots of footprints. It was 15 ” – longer than the one IK Kim missed a few years prior in the same tournament on the final hole. If it was a “tap in”, why did she mark it and replace it in a different spot ? What would the reaction from LPGA players have been if Lexi wasn’t penalized, won by one stroke and the video emerged afterwards ?
Tom Edrington
The key here is she gained “no competitive advantage” in her mis-marking of the ball. It was a 1-foot putt. It was not noticeable enough for the other competitors to notice and it is the playing partners in professional golf who are charged with “protecting the field” so that basically no one cheats. You have posed a hypothetical question that did not happen.
tc1942
Finally! It was a heart breaker at the time then the public got into it and the people on the ground from the USGA just went a head without consulting the home office. I think the outcome would have been different if they had. But sometimes in the field a commander is mesmerized by his/her position. It should have been suggested that a camera angle and distance curvature are 2 different things when looking at TV. Next time, just look at the distance projected on the TV vs reality. Now that we’re on a subject of rules violations, have you ever seen anyone play a round of golf and change the unchangeable drivers while riding in a cart because it was possible, I’ve said time and time again if you give some people the opportunity they will use it to their advantage. These clubs should be outlawed by the legal beagles at the R&A and the USGA and anyone else that wants to maintain the integrity of the game.
Tom Edrington
No one changes their driver settings on the professional tours and in amateur tournaments, any tournament, it’s up to the playing partners to monitor, it’s pretty much that way on the PGA, LPGA and European Tours. Keep in mind the USGA was not involved in Lexi’s ruling, that was LPGA rules officials. The only event overseen by USGA rules officials are USGA events like the U.S. men’s and women’s Opens, etc. Also, this is not a rules change, it is a “Decision” they did that because they can do it quickly. Take too long to change a rule as they have to go out for comment, as they are doing now and it typically takes more than a year to get comments in then make final decisions on changing any of the rules…..an archaic process for sure. And no, the equipment manufacturers don’t have to worry about them outlawing adjustable drivers, won’t happen.