Thompson ruling marks a new low for the rules of golf

WAS it the worst injustice yet? It was certainly another of those rules moments golf regrettably seems to specialise in that leave you sick to the pit of your stomach. What happened to American Lexi Thompson at the ANA Inspiration was wrong on so many levels. On Sunday, Thompson (right) had established a three-shot lead with six to play when announcer Mike Tirico told us she would be assessed a four-shot penalty for something that happened the previous day. A television viewer had emailed in claiming she incorrectly marked a putt of tap-in range during the third round, and the rules officials agreed. Two shots for the offence. Two shots for signing an incorrect scorecard. How can it possibly be right that everyone on television knows what’s going to happen before the player? How can you have a viewer deciding the outcome of a major championship? How can something that happened midway through the third round come back to bite a player midway through their final 18 holes? ‘Is this a joke?’ Thompson is clearly heard to say when told of her punishment. If only. As she walked to the next tee, the 21-year-old dissolved into tears, before showing tremendous resolve to birdie her next hole. She eventually lost a play-off to Korean So Yeon Ru. Twitter went into meltdown, with Tiger Woods posting: ‘Viewers at home should not be officials wearing stripes. Let’s go Lexi, win this thing anyway.’ Thompson had marked her ball to the side and then replaced it to the front of a coin, turning a 15inch putt into an 14½in one. Under the review that comes into force in 2019, if a player is deemed to have used reasonable judgment when marking the ball, there will be no penalty.