Mother blamed

A rising golf star has been disqualified from the LPGA qualifying series after her mother allegedly moved her out of bounds ball back into play. Doris Chen played the ball despite being advised by her caddie Alex Valer not to do so and is now suffering the consequences – losing her chance of making the 2019 LPGA Tour and living with the taint. ‘‘I feel hurt. People are calling me a cheater, with inflammatory words. I’m not a cheater. I never intend to cheat, and I’ve never told my family or friends to move my ball if I push my shot in the woods,’’ Chen told The Golf Channel. The alleged incident happened on the 17th hole at the Pinehurst No 7 course when Chen’s drive off the tee went into trees during the LPGA Q-Series event. Chen’s and Valer’s recollections differ as the search eventually found her ball in a bad lie in pine needles next to a tree. ‘‘My mother said she didn’t move the ball,’’ Chen said. ‘‘She doesn’t know what happened.’’ But the caddie said a woman came running from a nearby house, telling them that the ball was moved by a spectator. She was pointing directly at Chen’s mother. ‘‘She said ‘That person right there kicked your ball,’’’ Valer said.