Effective Immediately, Rules Change to Limit Video Review

[Shilgy]

I've seen the footage repeatedly and it completely looked to me like she was going to tap it in and then decided to mark it instead, got rushed and didn't get it back to the same spot in her hurry to get the putt in the hole. Definitely missed the spot and deserved the penalty but calling her a cheater is something that only would happen on the internet.

 

 

 

exactly.... agree 100% ... and will add that the subsequent 2 stroke addition for incorrect card will go down in my book as one of the great examples of the rules not working for fairness when it all boiled down... I dont care what anyone says the person who eventually received that trophy thinks in the back of her mind " ive got to win another major or else ill have to live the rest of my life knowing that the one i have i didnt really win"...( assuming that lady was a first time winner i csnt recall) ...... No way she feels the same about it as one would if you won going away wth no contraversy...

Good points here! Everybody knows she would have made the putt regardless of where she marked it. She was robbed of the tournament Victory due to asinine LPGA rules. The two strokes for signing an incorrect card is absurd. So what it boils down to she loses for strokes for a half inch. There is no possible way that I can think that she intentionally cheated when she did what she did, yeah it was a bit off line, but she was doing it out of courtesy by marking it from the side. Talk about somebody getting unfairly treated for being courteous.

No to pick on you but to reply to quite a few posts that were similar. Please watch the video posted above again. I have no idea why she marked it from the side as she did as if you look at where the other two coins were she had plenty of room to get behind the ball and mark it. She was in absolutely zero danger of standing on anyone's line either marking or putting. Try marking from the side yourself sometime. It really is no more difficult to get the replacement correct from the side than it is from directly behind.

 

"What most viewers don’t see in the zoomed-in version of the replay is that Thompson’s ball is in the putting line of Sung Hyun Park, explaining why Thompson comes in from the side, to stay off Park’s line."

 

http://www.golfchann...e-ana-incident/

Fine, that is what one story reported. Is that what all are going by without watching it? She had plenty of room to tap it in or to mark from behind. What may have happened is that she considered waiting for Park to putt but realized that Park would likely need to stand on Lexi's line.

Watch it again:

http://www.golfchannel.com/video/prudential-challenge-thompsons-ball-mark-penalty/

[whr]

In the interview today, Lexi said the improper mark happened after she picked it up and rotated the ball. The greens were perfect and there was no advantage to be gained by purposefully moving the position of the ball. Sounds like she just lost her focus on the position of the spot and put it solely on the ball.

 

I'll say it again, though I'm sure the rules crew here will disagree, but under the new rule, I doubt she would have been penalized for this. Her response was quite "reasonable" to me. I'm betting a future rules committee would concur in a similar situation.

[Vindog]

In the interview today, Lexi said the improper mark happened after she picked it up and rotated the ball. The greens were perfect and there was no advantage to be gained by purposefully moving the position of the ball. Sounds like she just lost her focus on the position of the spot and put it solely on the ball.

 

I'll say it again, though I'm sure the rules crew here will disagree, but under the new rule, I doubt she would have been penalized for this. Her response was quite "reasonable" to me. I'm betting a future rules committee would concur in a similar situation.

 

There is no reasonable explanation that justifies her misplacement of the ball except for a brief bout of carelessness. That, to me, doesn't satisfy the requirements in the new rule. She picked up and almost immediately replaced...in a different spot. It may be different if there was some lengthy time interval between lifting and replacing which might get in the way of spatial awareness and memory.

[Wildwing55]

Sorry for the tearful Lexi fans, but a cheater is a cheater. She shed a few tears in the press conference, didn't admit guilty, and said she's going to continue to mark her ball. What did that mean, continue to mark her ball wrongly? Jesus... This is a pro tour, after all.

 

This is not new. Gary Player many times has been accused of being a cheater, Bob Toski marked his ball improperly, and there are many more golf magazine stories of cheaters where the pro simply wasn't identified.

 

She knew she was marking the ball wrong. Any time you mark from the side, then replace improperly, you know it.

 

It seems Lexi still has a problem with honesty, though doesn't have a problem manufacturing some tears.

 

Again, sorry for fans who don't believe there is any wrongdoing with a cute blonde, but pretty obvious, facts are facts, and tour pros do cheat on occasion. She got caught this time, that's all.

[Argonne69]

"What most viewers don’t see in the zoomed-in version of the replay is that Thompson’s ball is in the putting line of Sung Hyun Park, explaining why Thompson comes in from the side, to stay off Park’s line."

 

http://www.golfchann...e-ana-incident/

 

1. Mark ball from behind

2. Lift ball

3. Ask playing partner if marker is in the way, and needs to be moved

4. If yes, move marker one club face left/right

 

That only happens, what, dozens of times a tournament? Marking on the side is not likely going to get the mark off the other players line if that was the case. Even if she came in from the side, I still don't understand why she wouldn't mark from behind the ball.

 

But again, doesn't matter. How many times do we have to say this? She is a professional golfer who is responsible for knowing how to correctly mark, lift, and replace a ball. She got caught. She received a penalty. The new rule wouldn't have done anything to have changed that outcome. Time to move on.

[bladehunter]

The first 15 seconds of this is the live, real-time replay. I'm finding it hard to believe that unless you know to look for it that you will see anything that causes you to say that didn't look right. Hell, I've got it blown up to full screen on my computer watching it very up close and, even though I know to look for it, I have to look really, really hard to notice anything unusual. Someone had to be very intently focused on the ball and nothing else to pick this up. This was not just some casual viewer saying "did you just see what she did".

 

http://www.golfchann...l-mark-penalty/

 

Exactly why I think under the new rule it wouldn't have been called a penalty.

[bladehunter]

Sorry for the tearful Lexi fans, but a cheater is a cheater. She shed a few tears in the press conference, didn't admit guilty, and said she's going to continue to mark her ball. What did that mean, continue to mark her ball wrongly? Jesus... This is a pro tour, after all.

 

This is not new. Gary Player many times has been accused of being a cheater, Bob Toski marked his ball improperly, and there are many more golf magazine stories of cheaters where the pro simply wasn't identified.

 

She knew she was marking the ball wrong. Any time you mark from the side, then replace improperly, you know it.

 

It seems Lexi still has a problem with honesty, though doesn't have a problem manufacturing some tears.

 

Again, sorry for fans who don't believe there is any wrongdoing with a cute blonde, but pretty obvious, facts are facts, and tour pros do cheat on occasion. She got caught this time, that's all.

 

 

Is it not possible that she still believes she did nothing wrong ? As in on purpose ? And that now that the usga has decided to implement a rule to allow the committee to make a judgement call as to intent and a reasonable attempt to place the ball correctly ....plus not being able to see it incorrectly With anything other than the naked eye ... That she feels as if she was correct and they are admitting it. ???? Which causes more grief over it. ????? That's how i take it . And assuming that. Why on earth would you apologize ? For what ? Hurrying to mark your ball to line the line up to tap in and misplacing it ? I guess. I don't think that's an apology needed moment. Maybe apologize to the fans for the colossal f up ending to a major and to the person with the trophy for the hollow victory ? But I think what she said was best. Less is more when dealing with something like this. The more you give the more the a******* of the world try to twist things.

[Seamus_McDuff]

"What most viewers don’t see in the zoomed-in version of the replay is that Thompson’s ball is in the putting line of Sung Hyun Park, explaining why Thompson comes in from the side, to stay off Park’s line."

 

http://www.golfchann...e-ana-incident/

 

1. Mark ball from behind

2. Lift ball

3. Ask playing partner if marker is in the way, and needs to be moved

4. If yes, move marker one club face left/right

 

That only happens, what, dozens of times a tournament? Marking on the side is not likely going to get the mark off the other players line if that was the case. Even if she came in from the side, I still don't understand why she wouldn't mark from behind the ball.

 

But again, doesn't matter. How many times do we have to say this? She is a professional golfer who is responsible for knowing how to correctly mark, lift, and replace a ball. She got caught. She received a penalty. The new rule wouldn't have done anything to have changed that outcome. Time to move on.

 

You've missed his point. He's saying she didn't mark from behind because she didn't want to step in Park's line, not because her marker would be in Park's line. Based on the video posted here, I'd say he's wrong about that, she wouldn't have stepped in the line, but he probably has more info than we do.

 

I've never said I didn't agree with the penalty.

 

 

[whr]

Sorry for the tearful Lexi fans, but a cheater is a cheater. She shed a few tears in the press conference, didn't admit guilty, and said she's going to continue to mark her ball. What did that mean, continue to mark her ball wrongly? Jesus... This is a pro tour, after all.

 

This is not new. Gary Player many times has been accused of being a cheater, Bob Toski marked his ball improperly, and there are many more golf magazine stories of cheaters where the pro simply wasn't identified.

 

She knew she was marking the ball wrong. Any time you mark from the side, then replace improperly, you know it.

 

It seems Lexi still has a problem with honesty, though doesn't have a problem manufacturing some tears.

 

Again, sorry for fans who don't believe there is any wrongdoing with a cute blonde, but pretty obvious, facts are facts, and tour pros do cheat on occasion. She got caught this time, that's all.

 

Did someone forget to take their meds this morning?

[taporsnap17]

I don't have a problem as such of someone calling it. If a rule was broken, it should be called. There are of course, issues (as with just about any rule). In no particular order:

• There has to be some sort of statute of limitations. Do we go back 30 years for footage and take titles off players from decades gone? The penalty on Lexi may have been applicable and fair, but to tell her with a few holes to go when she can't do anything about it was very unfair. If she was informed before the start of the round, she probably would've gone out more aggressively to chase down rather than be conservative.
  
• The "Tiger effect". I hate to bring this up, but it's true. The big names get way more scrutiny. It's a lot less of a effect than previously given online streaming choices and the number of cameras on the course now and being able to switch between them yourself rather than being forced to watch what a network wants you to watch. A viewer pretty got to watch near every single shot Tiger made in a round because the networks knew that's what drew the ratings. It's not fair on those guys at all because they have 10 times the number of "rules officials" looking at them.
  

Unfortunately the answer is there isn't really a answer in my view. We can say limit it to the on course officials, but are we happy with the answers of "if they didn't see it, it didn't happen" or "if the player doesn't confess, it didn't happen"?

 

Don't play loose to the rules and you won't have a problem lol. On that note, I'm not convinced Lexi did it on purpose. Brain fart, yes, deliberate, no.

[North Texas]

Just saw Judy Rankin on Golf Central. She was less than thrilled with Lexi's "explanation" at her press conference today.

[Shilgy]

Sorry for the tearful Lexi fans, but a cheater is a cheater. She shed a few tears in the press conference, didn't admit guilty, and said she's going to continue to mark her ball. What did that mean, continue to mark her ball wrongly? Jesus... This is a pro tour, after all.

 

This is not new. Gary Player many times has been accused of being a cheater, Bob Toski marked his ball improperly, and there are many more golf magazine stories of cheaters where the pro simply wasn't identified.

 

She knew she was marking the ball wrong. Any time you mark from the side, then replace improperly, you know it.

 

It seems Lexi still has a problem with honesty, though doesn't have a problem manufacturing some tears.

 

Again, sorry for fans who don't believe there is any wrongdoing with a cute blonde, but pretty obvious, facts are facts, and tour pros do cheat on occasion. She got caught this time, that's all.

 

 

Is it not possible that she still believes she did nothing wrong ? As in on purpose ? And that now that the usga has decided to implement a rule to allow the committee to make a judgement call as to intent and a reasonable attempt to place the ball correctly ....plus not being able to see it incorrectly With anything other than the naked eye ... That she feels as if she was correct and they are admitting it. ???? Which causes more grief over it. ????? That's how i take it . And assuming that. Why on earth would you apologize ? For what ? Hurrying to mark your ball to line the line up to tap in and misplacing it ? I guess. I don't think that's an apology needed moment. Maybe apologize to the fans for the colossal f up ending to a major and to the person with the trophy for the hollow victory ? But I think what she said was best. Less is more when dealing with something like this. The more you give the more the a******* of the world try to twist things.

I have never said it was intentional-but it was a brain fart and she admitted the replacement was poor. I would bet that in the future,especially when in contention, that she gives a more reasonable effort to get it correct.

[bladehunter]

Sorry for the tearful Lexi fans, but a cheater is a cheater. She shed a few tears in the press conference, didn't admit guilty, and said she's going to continue to mark her ball. What did that mean, continue to mark her ball wrongly? Jesus... This is a pro tour, after all.

 

This is not new. Gary Player many times has been accused of being a cheater, Bob Toski marked his ball improperly, and there are many more golf magazine stories of cheaters where the pro simply wasn't identified.

 

She knew she was marking the ball wrong. Any time you mark from the side, then replace improperly, you know it.

 

It seems Lexi still has a problem with honesty, though doesn't have a problem manufacturing some tears.

 

Again, sorry for fans who don't believe there is any wrongdoing with a cute blonde, but pretty obvious, facts are facts, and tour pros do cheat on occasion. She got caught this time, that's all.

 

 

Is it not possible that she still believes she did nothing wrong ? As in on purpose ? And that now that the usga has decided to implement a rule to allow the committee to make a judgement call as to intent and a reasonable attempt to place the ball correctly ....plus not being able to see it incorrectly With anything other than the naked eye ... That she feels as if she was correct and they are admitting it. ???? Which causes more grief over it. ????? That's how i take it . And assuming that. Why on earth would you apologize ? For what ? Hurrying to mark your ball to line the line up to tap in and misplacing it ? I guess. I don't think that's an apology needed moment. Maybe apologize to the fans for the colossal f up ending to a major and to the person with the trophy for the hollow victory ? But I think what she said was best. Less is more when dealing with something like this. The more you give the more the a******* of the world try to twist things.

I have never said it was intentional-but it was a brain fart and she admitted the replacement was poor. I would bet that in the future,especially when in contention, that she gives a more reasonable effort to get it correct.

 

 

Absolutely agree this is one of those major life lessons. The kind you think about every day for the rest of your life. But I think if she apologizes to anyone it should be herself. And her team of people who help her get to these events every week. To apologize for her actions to the media implies guilt to me. And I see none. A mistake yes. Wrongdoing ? Not by my definition. Those calling her a cheater ( I know it's not you ) are poor pathetic people who have an axe to grind for whatever reason. If it's because she's not of their favorite complexion , or nationality or lefty vs righty or maybe they prefer short women etc. you can bet that a few here wouldn't be calling Lydia or wie or other similar players a cheater if the shoe was on the other foot.

[Argonne69]

"What most viewers don’t see in the zoomed-in version of the replay is that Thompson’s ball is in the putting line of Sung Hyun Park, explaining why Thompson comes in from the side, to stay off Park’s line."

 

http://www.golfchann...e-ana-incident/

 

1. Mark ball from behind

2. Lift ball

3. Ask playing partner if marker is in the way, and needs to be moved

4. If yes, move marker one club face left/right

 

That only happens, what, dozens of times a tournament? Marking on the side is not likely going to get the mark off the other players line if that was the case. Even if she came in from the side, I still don't understand why she wouldn't mark from behind the ball.

 

But again, doesn't matter. How many times do we have to say this? She is a professional golfer who is responsible for knowing how to correctly mark, lift, and replace a ball. She got caught. She received a penalty. The new rule wouldn't have done anything to have changed that outcome. Time to move on.

 

You've missed his point. He's saying she didn't mark from behind because she didn't want to step in Park's line, not because her marker would be in Park's line. Based on the video posted here, I'd say he's wrong about that, she wouldn't have stepped in the line, but he probably has more info than we do.

 

I've never said I didn't agree with the penalty.

 

His point is idiotic. Yes, she didn't want to stand behind the ball because she may have been on Sung Hyun's line. So, she marked it while standing on the side. She could have just as easily put the marker behind the ball, instead of on the side of the ball. We're talking about a half inch or less. It's not like she has to reach an additional 2 feet. I think 99% of us could put a marker behind a ball, keeping the ball between the marker and the hole, if we stood at any point on a circle around the ball.

[Fade]

The first 15 seconds of this is the live, real-time replay. I'm finding it hard to believe that unless you know to look for it that you will see anything that causes you to say that didn't look right. Hell, I've got it blown up to full screen on my computer watching it very up close and, even though I know to look for it, I have to look really, really hard to notice anything unusual. Someone had to be very intently focused on the ball and nothing else to pick this up. This was not just some casual viewer saying "did you just see what she did".

 

http://www.golfchann...l-mark-penalty/

 

I found and find it really easy to spot something amiss, especially in real-time, because it happened so fast that it looks like all she did was move the ball, and I think it would be even easier to spot if the video was sped up. Also, because it seems like she is going through the marking process unnecessarily (for this tap-in) my eyes were and are naturally drawn to that process. I was not convinced when I watched it live that I had seen a rules infraction, but I did say or think something to myself along the lines of 'that's not good'.

[bladehunter]

"What most viewers don’t see in the zoomed-in version of the replay is that Thompson’s ball is in the putting line of Sung Hyun Park, explaining why Thompson comes in from the side, to stay off Park’s line."

 

http://www.golfchann...e-ana-incident/

 

1. Mark ball from behind

2. Lift ball

3. Ask playing partner if marker is in the way, and needs to be moved

4. If yes, move marker one club face left/right

 

That only happens, what, dozens of times a tournament? Marking on the side is not likely going to get the mark off the other players line if that was the case. Even if she came in from the side, I still don't understand why she wouldn't mark from behind the ball.

 

But again, doesn't matter. How many times do we have to say this? She is a professional golfer who is responsible for knowing how to correctly mark, lift, and replace a ball. She got caught. She received a penalty. The new rule wouldn't have done anything to have changed that outcome. Time to move on.

 

You've missed his point. He's saying she didn't mark from behind because she didn't want to step in Park's line, not because her marker would be in Park's line. Based on the video posted here, I'd say he's wrong about that, she wouldn't have stepped in the line, but he probably has more info than we do.

 

I've never said I didn't agree with the penalty.

 

His point is idiotic. Yes, she didn't want to stand behind the ball because she may have been on Sung Hyun's line. So, she marked it while standing on the side. She could have just as easily put the marker behind the ball, instead of on the side of the ball. We're talking about a half inch or less. It's not like she has to reach an additional 2 feet. I think 99% of us could put a marker behind a ball, keeping the ball between the marker and the hole, if we stood at any point on a circle around the ball.

 

 

nope... thought better of it.... people have been markig from the side for ages... get out more... i watched Dubieson ( spelling) do it all day two weeks ago .....

[Seamus_McDuff]

"What most viewers don’t see in the zoomed-in version of the replay is that Thompson’s ball is in the putting line of Sung Hyun Park, explaining why Thompson comes in from the side, to stay off Park’s line."

 

http://www.golfchann...e-ana-incident/

 

1. Mark ball from behind

2. Lift ball

3. Ask playing partner if marker is in the way, and needs to be moved

4. If yes, move marker one club face left/right

 

That only happens, what, dozens of times a tournament? Marking on the side is not likely going to get the mark off the other players line if that was the case. Even if she came in from the side, I still don't understand why she wouldn't mark from behind the ball.

 

But again, doesn't matter. How many times do we have to say this? She is a professional golfer who is responsible for knowing how to correctly mark, lift, and replace a ball. She got caught. She received a penalty. The new rule wouldn't have done anything to have changed that outcome. Time to move on.

 

You've missed his point. He's saying she didn't mark from behind because she didn't want to step in Park's line, not because her marker would be in Park's line. Based on the video posted here, I'd say he's wrong about that, she wouldn't have stepped in the line, but he probably has more info than we do.

 

I've never said I didn't agree with the penalty.

 

His point is idiotic. Yes, she didn't want to stand behind the ball because she may have been on Sung Hyun's line. So, she marked it while standing on the side. She could have just as easily put the marker behind the ball, instead of on the side of the ball. We're talking about a half inch or less. It's not like she has to reach an additional 2 feet. I think 99% of us could put a marker behind a ball, keeping the ball between the marker and the hole, if we stood at any point on a circle around the ball.

 

He's not excusing her, he's explaining why she came in from the side. A bit harsh to call him idiotic.

[RSinSG]

Some people in this thread be like:

 

 

 

[Sun Devil]

It isn't brain surgery to replace your ball exactly where your ball mark is. She's done this many times. I can see honest variations in placing the ball a few mm in front of the marker, but not side to side variations. Bottom line is she broke a rule and had she not broken the rule or was more careful in placing her ball then the rest of this thread is mute.

 

Bottom line is that she was caught. She paid the price. Time to move on.

[new2g0lf]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

[LittleLeftToRight]

If I was in charge, I would keep the call in number, but it would be answered with a loud "F%@K YOU!" Followed by the theme from the Three Stooges.

 

Time to stop the silliness.

[KyGolf]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

 

 

#1. Doesn't matter whether there was an advantage gained or not. Intent is also not a factor. She moved her ball and placed it in an incorrect place. 2 stroke penalty.

 

#2. She incurred the penalty the moment she played from a wrong place. It is irrelevant whether she was aware of the penalty when she signed her card. It is still incorrect. If she had been aware of the penalty and did not include it she would have been DQed.

 

#3. She was informed of the penalty strokes as soon as the committee was aware they were going to assess the penalty.

 

#4. The misplacement of the ball was enough that it would have been visible to the naked eye. That is why the new decision would not have changed anything.

 

If you were looking for a new rule that would have exonerated Miss Thompson you are out of luck. There is no reason to change any of the rules involved in that particular situation and I am glad the RBs didn't fall victim to a knee jerk reaction.

[whr]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

 

 

#1. Doesn't matter whether there was an advantage gained or not. Intent is also not a factor. She moved her ball and placed it in an incorrect place. 2 stroke penalty.

 

#2. She incurred the penalty the moment she played from a wrong place. It is irrelevant whether she was aware of the penalty when she signed her card. It is still incorrect. If she had been aware of the penalty and did not include it she would have been DQed.

 

#3. She was informed of the penalty strokes as soon as the committee was aware they were going to assess the penalty.

 

#4. The misplacement of the ball was enough that it would have been visible to the naked eye. That is why the new decision would not have changed anything.

 

If you were looking for a new rule that would have exonerated Miss Thompson you are out of luck. There is no reason to change any of the rules involved in that particular situation and I am glad the RBs didn't fall victim to a knee jerk reaction.

 

Maybe not intent, but reasonableness will now be a determining factor. Under the new rule, the rules committee will discuss the situation with the player before making a determination of an infraction, something they don't do now. That's a big change. It's also time to put a statute of limitations on timing of penalties.

 

4. Except that it wasn't.

 

I disagree. No penalty under the new rule if applied to this situation.

[new2g0lf]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

 

 

#1. Doesn't matter whether there was an advantage gained or not. Intent is also not a factor. She moved her ball and placed it in an incorrect place. 2 stroke penalty.

 

#2. She incurred the penalty the moment she played from a wrong place. It is irrelevant whether she was aware of the penalty when she signed her card. It is still incorrect. If she had been aware of the penalty and did not include it she would have been DQed.

 

#3. She was informed of the penalty strokes as soon as the committee was aware they were going to assess the penalty.

 

#4. The misplacement of the ball was enough that it would have been visible to the naked eye. That is why the new decision would not have changed anything.

 

If you were looking for a new rule that would have exonerated Miss Thompson you are out of luck. There is no reason to change any of the rules involved in that particular situation and I am glad the RBs didn't fall victim to a knee jerk reaction.

 

If Lexi wasn't on the broadcast it wouldn't have been reported, there were a number of people on the green with her and it doesn't appear anyone took issue with the ball placement until the call in. The language in the new rule refers to players reasonable judgement, so therefore intent and advantage will now factor in.

 

Why did it take them the entire evening and twelve holes of the final pairing to determine a penalty needed to be assessed? If it was as blatant as you claim then it shouldn't have taken that long. Seems to me, someone was waiting to see if the penalty would be a factor in who won and decided to make the call at a time when it would do the most harm to Lexi without seeming like a blatant act.

 

No one saw it with their naked eye when it happened, it took almost 24 hours for them to make a decision to assess the penalty on something you claim was obvious.

 

I'm not a Lexi fan, I'm a golf fan and I don't like seeing tournaments stolen from golfers because the ruling bodies can't decide how to fairly enforce the rules when it comes to events that are broadcast versus those that are not.

[rangersgoalie]

So, as long as nobody sees a violation of the rules, everything is cool then....got it.

 

Does it matter if it's a player, official, caddy, vendor, cameraman, or fan?

If you break a rule, there's a consequence. I know some get away with it, but geez us,

She clearly broke a rule...what some seem upset about is the way she was caught, not that a professional,

Leading a major, somehow forget how to mark and replace a ball.

[Shilgy]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

 

 

#1. Doesn't matter whether there was an advantage gained or not. Intent is also not a factor. She moved her ball and placed it in an incorrect place. 2 stroke penalty.

 

#2. She incurred the penalty the moment she played from a wrong place. It is irrelevant whether she was aware of the penalty when she signed her card. It is still incorrect. If she had been aware of the penalty and did not include it she would have been DQed.

 

#3. She was informed of the penalty strokes as soon as the committee was aware they were going to assess the penalty.

 

#4. The misplacement of the ball was enough that it would have been visible to the naked eye. That is why the new decision would not have changed anything.

 

If you were looking for a new rule that would have exonerated Miss Thompson you are out of luck. There is no reason to change any of the rules involved in that particular situation and I am glad the RBs didn't fall victim to a knee jerk reaction.

 

If Lexi wasn't on the broadcast it wouldn't have been reported, there were a number of people on the green with her and it doesn't appear anyone took issue with the ball placement until the call in. The language in the new rule refers to players reasonable judgement, so therefore intent and advantage will now factor in.

 

Why did it take them the entire evening and twelve holes of the final pairing to determine a penalty needed to be assessed? If it was as blatant as you claim then it shouldn't have taken that long. Seems to me, someone was waiting to see if the penalty would be a factor in who won and decided to make the call at a time when it would do the most harm to Lexi without seeming like a blatant act.

 

No one saw it with their naked eye when it happened, it took almost 24 hours for them to make a decision to assess the penalty on something you claim was obvious.

 

I'm not a Lexi fan, I'm a golf fan and I don't like seeing tournaments stolen from golfers because the ruling bodies can't decide how to fairly enforce the rules when it comes to events that are broadcast versus those that are not.

In the newly phrased rule... Reasonable judgement refers to drops. For instance where did the ball last cross a hazard line. Reasonable EFFORT is needed in replacing your ball correctly after marking. You may think her judgement was acceptable but she most certainly did not use reasonable EFFORT to get it replaced properly.

[whr]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

 

 

#1. Doesn't matter whether there was an advantage gained or not. Intent is also not a factor. She moved her ball and placed it in an incorrect place. 2 stroke penalty.

 

#2. She incurred the penalty the moment she played from a wrong place. It is irrelevant whether she was aware of the penalty when she signed her card. It is still incorrect. If she had been aware of the penalty and did not include it she would have been DQed.

 

#3. She was informed of the penalty strokes as soon as the committee was aware they were going to assess the penalty.

 

#4. The misplacement of the ball was enough that it would have been visible to the naked eye. That is why the new decision would not have changed anything.

 

If you were looking for a new rule that would have exonerated Miss Thompson you are out of luck. There is no reason to change any of the rules involved in that particular situation and I am glad the RBs didn't fall victim to a knee jerk reaction.

 

If Lexi wasn't on the broadcast it wouldn't have been reported, there were a number of people on the green with her and it doesn't appear anyone took issue with the ball placement until the call in. The language in the new rule refers to players reasonable judgement, so therefore intent and advantage will now factor in.

 

Why did it take them the entire evening and twelve holes of the final pairing to determine a penalty needed to be assessed? If it was as blatant as you claim then it shouldn't have taken that long. Seems to me, someone was waiting to see if the penalty would be a factor in who won and decided to make the call at a time when it would do the most harm to Lexi without seeming like a blatant act.

 

No one saw it with their naked eye when it happened, it took almost 24 hours for them to make a decision to assess the penalty on something you claim was obvious.

 

I'm not a Lexi fan, I'm a golf fan and I don't like seeing tournaments stolen from golfers because the ruling bodies can't decide how to fairly enforce the rules when it comes to events that are broadcast versus those that are not.

In the newly phrased rule... Reasonable judgement refers to drops. For instance where did the ball last cross a hazard line. Reasonable EFFORT is needed in replacing your ball correctly after marking. You may think her judgement was acceptable but she most certainly did not use reasonable EFFORT to get it replaced properly.

 

........as well as REPLACING A LIFTED BALL IN RELATION TO A BALL-MARKER.

 

http://www.usga.org/rules-hub/decision-34-3-10--limitations-on-use-of-video-evidence.html

[jwash112]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

 

 

#1. Doesn't matter whether there was an advantage gained or not. Intent is also not a factor. She moved her ball and placed it in an incorrect place. 2 stroke penalty.

 

#2. She incurred the penalty the moment she played from a wrong place. It is irrelevant whether she was aware of the penalty when she signed her card. It is still incorrect. If she had been aware of the penalty and did not include it she would have been DQed.

 

#3. She was informed of the penalty strokes as soon as the committee was aware they were going to assess the penalty.

 

#4. The misplacement of the ball was enough that it would have been visible to the naked eye. That is why the new decision would not have changed anything.

 

If you were looking for a new rule that would have exonerated Miss Thompson you are out of luck. There is no reason to change any of the rules involved in that particular situation and I am glad the RBs didn't fall victim to a knee jerk reaction.

 

If Lexi wasn't on the broadcast it wouldn't have been reported, there were a number of people on the green with her and it doesn't appear anyone took issue with the ball placement until the call in. The language in the new rule refers to players reasonable judgement, so therefore intent and advantage will now factor in.

 

Why did it take them the entire evening and twelve holes of the final pairing to determine a penalty needed to be assessed? If it was as blatant as you claim then it shouldn't have taken that long. Seems to me, someone was waiting to see if the penalty would be a factor in who won and decided to make the call at a time when it would do the most harm to Lexi without seeming like a blatant act.

 

No one saw it with their naked eye when it happened, it took almost 24 hours for them to make a decision to assess the penalty on something you claim was obvious.

 

I'm not a Lexi fan, I'm a golf fan and I don't like seeing tournaments stolen from golfers because the ruling bodies can't decide how to fairly enforce the rules when it comes to events that are broadcast versus those that are not.

 

So you'd rather see the tournament "stolen" from another golfer?

[whr]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

 

 

#1. Doesn't matter whether there was an advantage gained or not. Intent is also not a factor. She moved her ball and placed it in an incorrect place. 2 stroke penalty.

 

#2. She incurred the penalty the moment she played from a wrong place. It is irrelevant whether she was aware of the penalty when she signed her card. It is still incorrect. If she had been aware of the penalty and did not include it she would have been DQed.

 

#3. She was informed of the penalty strokes as soon as the committee was aware they were going to assess the penalty.

 

#4. The misplacement of the ball was enough that it would have been visible to the naked eye. That is why the new decision would not have changed anything.

 

If you were looking for a new rule that would have exonerated Miss Thompson you are out of luck. There is no reason to change any of the rules involved in that particular situation and I am glad the RBs didn't fall victim to a knee jerk reaction.

 

If Lexi wasn't on the broadcast it wouldn't have been reported, there were a number of people on the green with her and it doesn't appear anyone took issue with the ball placement until the call in. The language in the new rule refers to players reasonable judgement, so therefore intent and advantage will now factor in.

 

Why did it take them the entire evening and twelve holes of the final pairing to determine a penalty needed to be assessed? If it was as blatant as you claim then it shouldn't have taken that long. Seems to me, someone was waiting to see if the penalty would be a factor in who won and decided to make the call at a time when it would do the most harm to Lexi without seeming like a blatant act.

 

No one saw it with their naked eye when it happened, it took almost 24 hours for them to make a decision to assess the penalty on something you claim was obvious.

 

I'm not a Lexi fan, I'm a golf fan and I don't like seeing tournaments stolen from golfers because the ruling bodies can't decide how to fairly enforce the rules when it comes to events that are broadcast versus those that are not.

 

So you'd rather see the tournament "stolen" from another golfer?

 

It can be argued that it was...

 

The USGA/R&A felt the situation warranted a rules change. That says plenty.

[jwash112]

Here are the issues with Lexi's penalty

1. It was not clear she did it intentionally or it provided her with any advantage.
   
2. The penalty wasn't assessed until after she signed her score card - therefore when she signed it, it was accurate. The 2 strokes for incorrect scorecard signing was out of line.
   
3. She wasn't informed of the 4 stroke penalty until the 12th hole of the final day which made it almost impossible to recover from. Why did it take that long to inform her?
   
4. Watching it at regular speed from the angle they provided I doubt any average golf fan would have noticed the infraction without knowing what to look for. There were others on the green with her, why wasn't something said when it occurred if it was so "blatant"?
   

With regards to the new rule, it's still ambiguous and a lame attempt by the USGA to make it appear that they wanted to resolve the issue. It's still not an objective rule that can be applied equally in every instance so what good is it?

 

 

#1. Doesn't matter whether there was an advantage gained or not. Intent is also not a factor. She moved her ball and placed it in an incorrect place. 2 stroke penalty.

 

#2. She incurred the penalty the moment she played from a wrong place. It is irrelevant whether she was aware of the penalty when she signed her card. It is still incorrect. If she had been aware of the penalty and did not include it she would have been DQed.

 

#3. She was informed of the penalty strokes as soon as the committee was aware they were going to assess the penalty.

 

#4. The misplacement of the ball was enough that it would have been visible to the naked eye. That is why the new decision would not have changed anything.

 

If you were looking for a new rule that would have exonerated Miss Thompson you are out of luck. There is no reason to change any of the rules involved in that particular situation and I am glad the RBs didn't fall victim to a knee jerk reaction.

 

If Lexi wasn't on the broadcast it wouldn't have been reported, there were a number of people on the green with her and it doesn't appear anyone took issue with the ball placement until the call in. The language in the new rule refers to players reasonable judgement, so therefore intent and advantage will now factor in.

 

Why did it take them the entire evening and twelve holes of the final pairing to determine a penalty needed to be assessed? If it was as blatant as you claim then it shouldn't have taken that long. Seems to me, someone was waiting to see if the penalty would be a factor in who won and decided to make the call at a time when it would do the most harm to Lexi without seeming like a blatant act.

 

No one saw it with their naked eye when it happened, it took almost 24 hours for them to make a decision to assess the penalty on something you claim was obvious.

 

I'm not a Lexi fan, I'm a golf fan and I don't like seeing tournaments stolen from golfers because the ruling bodies can't decide how to fairly enforce the rules when it comes to events that are broadcast versus those that are not.

 

So you'd rather see the tournament "stolen" from another golfer?

 

It can be argued that it was...

 

The USGA/R&A felt the situation warranted a rules change. That says plenty.

 

Doesn't really say much. A real rule change would be to let the player adjust the card and resign it to not be double penalized. She should have been penalized the 2 strokes, 100 percent. I think that people should really focus more on the fact that she should have been given the chance to correct the scorecard since the penalty was the prior day. When it comes down to it, these are professional golfers, they know better regardless.