Time to rule out these armchair detectives

WHAT happened to Lexi Thompson last Sunday must be the last time a player is punished at the hands of an armchair detective.

In what other sport do TV viewers get to influence the outcome?

None. There is no reason why golf should be any different.

It’s not as if there is a shortage of rules officials out on the course, plus people watching the TV coverage in the recorder’s hut.

If these qualified officials fail to pick up on anything, then there is no case to answer.

There is no way Thompson can be accused of trying to cheat her way to victory. At worst, she was a bit careless.

But for a mistake she made on the Saturday afternoon not to be notified until she was on the 12th hole on Sunday is ludicrous.

To suddenly be told that she was losing four shots, she had every right to feel hard done by.

Watching at home with an HD-TV and super slow-mo cameras, you have the best view of all – even better than the naked eye.

It’s possible to pick up the ball moving a fraction of a millimetre, but this was no act of cheating.

On greens that are super-fast and sloping, replacing a marker and keeping the ball 100% still and in exactly the same position is near impossible.

I’m certain what Lexi did will be repeated by most players at every club up and down the country today.

So for that to cost her the ANA Inspiration – a women’s Major no less – is harsh in the extreme.

Plus, in this case, lots of other players could have made the same mistake on the same day, but they were not “punished” because they were not on camera. That is another inconsistency.

As it was, the young American showed great fortitude to recover and make the play-off, only to lose to Korean So Yeon Ryu. So to lose a tournament twice in one day is tough to take.

Coming less than a year after the incident when Dustin Johnson was penalised at the US Open, this is bad for golf’s image and makes the sport look farcical to outsiders.

The rules need tightening up straight away.

Once a card is signed and checked by the recorder, that should be it. There is no need for any more pros to face a trial by TV.