LPGA Golfer Rejected Penalty Ruling and Walked Away: When a Rules Controversy Boiled Over
Silhouette of female Chinese golfer at sunset Beijing China Copyright: xLanexOateyx bji01470048
Silhouette of female Chinese golfer at sunset Beijing China Copyright: xLanexOateyx bji01470048
A one-inch shift. A two-stroke penalty. And a decision that led LPGA pro Chella Choi to walk away from a tournament.
On the 10th hole at the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, Choi improperly returned her ball to its mark, a mistake that was caught on camera and later reported to rules officials. What followed became one of the LPGA Tour's most talked-about rules controversies.
“The player lifted her ball, and when replacing her ball put the ball not in the same place from which it was lifted,” LPGA rules official Dan Maselli told GolfChannel in an email response.
Apr 1, 2022; Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Chella Choi places the ball on the green during the second round of the Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2022; Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Chella Choi places the ball on the green during the second round of the Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
“That is a violation of Rule 16-1b, which carries a two-stroke penalty if the mistake is not corrected before the stroke (Rule 20-6),” he added.
A review of the television broadcast showed Choi’s action clearly. While cleaning up a short putt on the 10th hole, she placed her mark so that her ball was resting on the right side of the mark.
However, after momentarily picking up her ball, Choi placed it down on the left side of the mark. The ball was shifted by an inch, which was a clear violation of the rules.
Choi’s act was first noticed by a television viewer of the extended Canadian broadcast. The viewer reported it, and after Choi completed play, rules officials informed her about the two-stroke penalty.
“The player did not agree and decided to withdraw from the competition,” Maselli wrote. “She gave no reason for the withdrawal.”
As reported by TSN, Choi was shown a replay of the improper mark. At the TV compound, the South Korean reportedly “refused to accept” the two-shot penalty.
Following that, Choi did not sign her scorecard and surprisingly withdrew from the event. The two-stroke penalty would have made Choi miss the cut by one stroke anyway.
Without the violation, Choi would have been on her way to feature at the weekend.
How Has Choi’s Career Panned Out
A year later, Choi secured her only LPGA Tour title after a long wait of seven years and 157 LPGA Tour events.
On July 19, 2015, Choi lifted the Marathon Classic trophy, defeating Jang Ha-na in a playoff.
The 35-year-old has registered 51 top-10 finishes in her career. A third-place finish at the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship and a T6 finish at the 2013 Evian Championship have been her best performances in majors.
Throughout her career, she has made around $7.1 million in official earnings.
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Written by
Avishek Sarkar
Edited by
Pulkit Prabhav