The ANA Inspiration, golf's first women's major of the year ended in a rules farce on Sunday night in California.
Lexi Thompson, the 2014 champion looked on course to win her second major, before she was given a four-shot penalty for an infringement that took place during Saturday's round.
The 22-year-old was playing on the back-nine, and after bogeying the 12th hole, she was informed of the four-shot penalty. Without playing a shot, she went from three strokes clear of Suzann Pettersen, to a shot behind with six holes to play.
Thompson was easily heard asking "Is this a joke?" by television viewers, when being notified of her penalty.
Our statement regarding Lexi Thompson penalty. pic.twitter.com/bQrlIFrebQ
— LPGA (@LPGA) April 3, 2017
During Saturday's round, the World number nine was adjudged to have marked her ball on the 17th an inch away from where she picked it up. An eagle-eyed viewer e-mailed the LPGA on Sunday morning of the rules violation.
Thompson was given a retrospective two-shot penalty for not replacing the ball in the right position, and a further two-shot penalty for subsequently signing her scorecard for the wrong score.
Despite being given the four-stroke penalty, the 22-year-old birdied her next hole, and had an eagle putt on the 18th to win the tournament. She birdied the final hole, but lost in the play-off on the first hole to Korean golfer Ryu So-yeon.
After a birdie on the first playoff hole, the 2017 #ANAInspiration champion is @1soyeonryu pic.twitter.com/34QK0Vvr2O
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) April 3, 2017
Plenty of players had their say on what happened during the final round including Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood. While both men were sorry for the situation and how it unfolded, Westwood was putting the blame firmly on Thompson's shoulders.
Viewers at home should not be officials wearing stripes. Let's go @Lexi, win this thing anyway.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 3, 2017
You know all this rules confusion could have been averted if Lexi just mastered the art of marking and replacing the ball in the same spot.
— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) April 3, 2017
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