Lexi Thompson's 4 Stroke Penalty at the ANA

[Hategolf]

1 minute ago, Pete said:

Sure. Just look at the reputation of the world governing body FIFA. Doesn't exactly scream integrity does it?  

Every world cup I've watched (1986 onwards) has had controversy at some stage. Faking injury to waste time. Hand of god. Dodgy penalties. Teams playing out a mutually beneficial result that qualifies both to the next stage at the expense of other teams and the integrity of all 22 players.  It's so frequent it is just considered part of the game. 

It's the biggest sport in the world due to simplicity and history. Not because of the spirit or sportsmanship with which it is played or organised. 

I could argued as to why soccer is bigger than golf but we could end up going off topic. 

 You want Golf plays to be reviewed in TV monitors? I say good idea, but let the officials handle it. 

 

[weekend hacker1]

2 minutes ago, MuniGrit said:

She cheated and got caught and ultimately paid the price. I think though that once the next round starts someone shouldn't be able to call it in. Rules are rules and you have to follow them. She had to know she was marking it to the side.

There is no convincing answer to that. Instead of moaning about the rules, it would be better if the pros simply followed them. Marking the ball correctly is NOT difficult.

[Hatchman]

4 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

  This is a sport where personal integrity is paramount. 

Agreed.  But consider the baseball pitchers toe slightly off the rubber seen with the naked eye by umpires.  Not television.   Now zoom in with a camera to a player placing a ball, or contacting a hazard area under grainy magnification.  The tools of observation now are much different as well as the reporting devices.  Where do we go?

[14ledo81]

4 minutes ago, Hategolf said:

I could argued as to why soccer is bigger than golf but we could end up going off topic. 

 You want Golf plays to be reviewed in TV monitors? I say good idea, but let the officials handle it. 

 

The officials did handle it.

[Shorty]

16 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

 This is a sport where personal integrity is paramount.  Do we expect Lexi to do something to correct the situation, to somehow take two extra shots?  That's what a person of integrity would do.  "I deserve a penalty, so I'm going to penalize myself."  

It's amazing how much integrity a lot of Pros have when they have cameras on them and know it. They then harp on about how they penalized themselves.......nothing else they could do.........that's the beauty of the game.........what sets it apart from other sports. Amazingly, when we have clear evidence of someone lacking integrity, some tie themselves up in knots looking for someone or something to blame. The video shows very clearly where one should be looking. The truth ain't pretty, but me thinks that she is being supported because she is pretty, not because of anything else.

If it was a whining M*rgan Pre*sel or any one of a hundred other lower profile players, would this outrage ensue?

If it was P*trick Re*d would we assume it was pure innocence and that he was the victim of "elites"? Seriously?

Edited April 3, 2017 by Shorty

[Pete]

At the risk of stirring this up even more, I'd like to appeal to everyone's common sense. I've just watched it again and again, and I am convinced:

 

LEXI THOMPSON WAS CLEARLY CHEATING AND IS TRYING TO PRETEND SHE WASN'T!

 

I am very glad she got penalised the next day. 

[Lihu]

2 minutes ago, Shorty said:

It's amazing how much integrity a lot of Pros have when they have cameras on them and know it. They then harp on about how they penalized themselves.......nothing else they could do.........that's the beauty of the game.........what sets it apart from other sports. Amazingly, when we have clear evidence of someone lacking integrity, some tie themselves up in knots looking for someone or something to blame. The video shows very clearly where one should be looking. The truth ain't pretty, but me thinks that she is being supported because she is pretty, not because of anything else.

Not just "pretty", but that kind of understates the obvious.

[Groucho Valentine]

Unless you put cameras on every group in every tournament, the rules are not being applied equitably in Thompson's example. If Thompson was 10 shots back she never would have got called on her infraction. This ex post facto penalty shit needs to end, IMO. 

[weekend hacker1]

3 minutes ago, Pete said:

At the risk of stirring this up even more, I'd like to appeal to everyone's common sense. I've just watched it again and again, and I am convinced:

 

LEXI THOMPSON WAS CLEARLY CHEATING AND IS TRYING TO PRETEND SHE WASN'T!

 

I am very glad she got penalised the next day. 

Agreed. She was caught red-handed (albeit belatedly).

[Lihu]

2 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Unless you put cameras on every group in every tournament, the rules are not being applied equitably in Thompson's example.

Actually, the technology to monitor all the holes simultaneously in real time is already available. You could make a 3D image of everything in real time. Not perfect, but capable of detecting what the players are doing.

The only downside is that the players and caddies can't step to the side to fart or something like that. . .

[Shorty]

5 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Unless you put cameras on every group in every tournament, the rules are not being applied equitably in Thompson's example. If Thompson was 10 shots back she never would have got called on her infraction. This ex post facto penalty shit needs to end, IMO. 

Nah - players just need to stop cheating. Problem solved.

[Groucho Valentine]

Just now, Shorty said:

Nah - players just need to stop cheating. Problem solved.

Well..yeah.

[Lihu]

Just now, Shorty said:

Nah - players just need to stop cheating. Problem solved.

Actually, is cheating among pro players that prevalent?

[406pat]

The more I watch the footage of her marking the ball, the more it looks like her ball may have been initially resting in a slight depression, like a light ball mark or a dent from a putter. 

I'm with others here that I don't think she put the ball in the same spot and that players at this level don't typically do such things by accident. I also don't think this sort of thing is entirely uncommon. I think the penalty was in line with the rules.

What upsets me about these situations is the timing of the announcements. It really impacts all of the players at the top of the leaderboard. There were quite a few ladies in contention that probably would have adjusted their strategies and played differently if Lexi was tied for the lead at the beginning of the day vs. up 4. I don't know what the answer is when information comes in mid-round like that, but the fact that the person getting the penalty is far from the only player impacted should be discussed too.

[1badbadger]

4 hours ago, Jack Watson said:

Simple solution to this abortion is to draw the line at the signing of the card.  Either find the penalty before that or that's it.

just as the player signs a tour official should sign and then it's over and this nonsense couldn't happen.

 

Right now the signing of the card means nothing apparently might as well not do it

If it ended at the signing of the card, then no one could be penalized for signing an incorrect scorecard. This would defeat the purpose of signing the scorecard, wouldn't it?

[Shorty]

14 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Actually, is cheating among pro players that prevalent?

Hi there, Lihu

I wouldn't say that at all, but I would say that in  tournaments balls get moved when they're near sticks in the trees and some dodgy ball marking and dropping occurs. Remember the English player whose club hit a reed in a hazard on the 18th and it cost him a tournament?  He called himself out. Luckily for him because of the slo mo cameras and his position( not that I'm saying that was his motivation) Larry Mize dropped a ball VERY improperly in the Masters he won - but incorrect procedure isn't always what I would call cheating. Lexi was cheating. Clearly.

Chella Choi, Michelle Wie and now Lexi have been busted. Notice how they NEVER own it?

Edited April 3, 2017 by Shorty

[Jack Watson]

51 minutes ago, Ernest Jones said:

Right, and that is at the close of competition. As has been stated many, many times.

So that means that the rules are applied differently to the first three rounds of play in comparison to the last?

The first three rounds are effectively under review but when the final round is complete it's over?

Why should a player be required to sign a card that's effectively under review?

So if this were final round and it came out you'd be okay with it because the rules say nothing in the final round is reviewable?

It makes no sense this could happen in rounds 1-3 but never in round 4.

It has to be once the officials accept the card that's it.  Otherwise the rules are not applied the same throughout the tournament.

Something needs to be done about this it's not the first time!

[RH31]

38 minutes ago, weekend hacker1 said:

There is no convincing answer to that. Instead of moaning about the rules, it would be better if the pros simply followed them. Marking the ball correctly is NOT difficult.

NO, but it's very easy to put your ball back in play in the wrong spot.

Have you ever placed your coin to either side, not directly behind the ball, to keep it out of, or not close to, someone's line? If you have, and didn't replace your ball exactly back to the side, just a smidge forward or reward, and you broke the rule.

Anybody ever call a competitor for improper replacement of their ball?

You know somebody in your group isn't getting it right 100% of the time.

You are obligated to call it and protect the field.