Tyranny of armchair officials
Sadly, there was to be no redemption for Thompson at the Mission Hills Golf Club in California. She parred the playoff hole, but it proved a shot short, and she found herself dealing with a disappointing bridesmaid finish. She stayed evenkeeled in the ens
“Is this a joke?” Lexi Thompson posited the question to LPGA Vice-President for Tour Rules and Competition Sue Witters as she made her way to the 13th tee. She had just made bogey, but remained firmly in the lead and on her way to claiming the second major championship of her career. Or at least she thought so, up until she was informed that she committed an infraction during the previous round. Evidently, she did not replace her ball properly right before she made her tap-in putt on the 17th green, subjecting her to a two-stroke penalty. And because she effectively signed for the “wrong” score, she had to be assessed another two-stroke penalty.
Naturally, Thompson took the news hard. Considering how unexpected it was and how much it affected her standing in the ANA Inspiration, it’s a wonder she even got to force sudden death. She had gone from two up to two down in one fell swoop, with the wave of emotions she felt in light of the sudden turn of events threatening to prolong the swoon. Instead of giving in, however, she fought back; between tears, she managed to put together a remarkable run in the last third of her fourth round, riding on a wellspring of optimism from within, from caddie Kevin McAlpine, and, significantly, from the crowd.
Sadly, there was to be no redemption for Thompson at the Mission Hills Golf Club in California. She parred the playoff hole, but it proved a shot short, and she found herself dealing with a disappointing bridesmaid finish. She stayed evenkeeled in the ensuing interview, preferring to delve on the positives. Still, she could not help but give in to sobs in the arms of her mother as she reached the scoring trailer. Had she likewise shown indignation, she would have been forgiven. After all, there was no justice in the LPGA’s decision borne of an e-mail sent to its Fan Feedback portal. It may have been in the right to cite her for her infraction, but the manner in which said infraction was belatedly discovered did not lend the judgment any legitimacy.
“I’ll learn from it,” Thompson said. Hopefully, the governing bodies will, too. The sport is hard enough for the pros without them needing to wade through arcane and archaic rules that serve no purpose. No wonder it is seeing fewer and fewer practitioners in all levels. If the likes of Dustin Johnson and Anna Nordqvist — themselves victims of ex post facto calls in golf’s grandest stages — are forced to tiptoe through land mine after land mine, casual players have no chance.
Under the circumstances, 2019 can’t come soon enough; by that time, less-stringent standards based on reason and reasonableness will be put in place. Meanwhile, all and sundry have no choice but to accept the tyranny of armchair “officials” who have nothing better to do than sift through high-definition broadcasts in an effort to make the best of the best appear decidedly ordinary.