Lexiisn’t theonly offender saysPhil

PHIL MICKELSON last night claimed a number of players on the PGA Tour are “intentionally loose” in marking their ball.

The three-times Masters champ made the accusation after being asked about the four-shot penalty incurred by Lexi Thompson in last week’s ANA Inspiration.

Thompson was leading by three shots during the final round when told by tournament officials she would be sanctioned for an incident that took place the previous day.

The 22-year-old was penalised two strokes for incorrectly replacing a marked ball on the 17th green and another two for signing an incorrect scorecard after a TV viewer had alerted LPGA officials to the incident via email.

Mickelson said: “I know a number of guys on Tour who are loose with how they mark the ball and haven’t been called on it.

“They will move the ball two, three inches in front of their mark and this is an intentional way to get it out of any type of impression and so forth – and that kind of stuff needs to stop.

“The Tour should go to those players and say, ‘Look, we’ve noticed you’ve been lax in how precise you’ve been in marking the ball. We’d like you to be a little bit better at it and see if that doesn’t just fix the thing.”

Mickelson also insisted Thompson, who lost a play-off to So Yeon Ryu, should be given the trophy.

The 46-year-old added: “To have a tournament be decided like that, with all the scenarios going around, it should be reversed.

“She should be given the trophy. We’ve all been a little lax at times in the markings of our ball and I hate to see it cost somebody a Major.”