Former NCAA Champ DQ'd From LPGA Q-Series Over Rules Breach Reportedly Involving Her Mother

[Vinsk]

47 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

You know as I read more about this, maybe she did know the rule and just blatantly cheated. She didn't want a rules official there because of this:

She was just trying to get the heck out of there before it was virtually certain the ball was moved. 

Maybe when her mom was pointed out to be the one that moved it...she wanted to get the heck outta there?

[Mr22putt]

Based on the info from all the articles related to this incident....it really comes off that Chen is a cheater....especially considering her caddie told her several times to get a rules official and she declined.

Heck...even for a simple cart path drop....we've seen a RO be called in on the PGA and LPGA tour.

Chen is a past USGA Jr, Girls champ and a NCAA individual champ but her legacy unfortunately will be known as a cheater...whether it be in competitive golf or around her future casual golf environment....I'm not buying the "I didn't know" from a three year pro golfer....who also played for USC.

Her reputation is scared....it would even surprise me if she quit golf...even recreational golf.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Mr22putt

[Mr22putt]

10 hours ago, NM Golf said:

I disagree, he has his reputation to lose. He is a regular caddy on the LPGA and Symetra Tours, you don't want your name associated with a cheater. 

Chen's caddie, Alex Valer,  doesn't have a reputation to lose....this is the 1st time he caddied for Chen....you need to earn a reputation 1st.

He's simply a journeyman loop...the best bag he could obtain for 2018 was Katelyn Sepmoree who made only $16,000 on the LPGA and Symetra tour.

Considering LPGA/Symetra journeymen caddies pay for their own travel expenses....I think a caddie at Bandon or Pebble could have made more after expense earnings over 3 months vs. what he made carrying Katelyn's bag all year.

[Slim_Pivot]

12 hours ago, iacas said:

She said she thought you played it as it lie, and referenced a shot she thought Tiger Woods hit once… but it was probably not at rest. It was probably a bouncing ball that hit someone or something.

This crossed my mind too. That drive against at the PGA (against Bob May) that went behind a bush...then a guy ran by and the ball goes bouncing down the cart path...that one was very iffy.

 

Not sure if that was in the playoff or right before it.

[iacas]

10 hours ago, Mr22putt said:

Chen's caddie, Alex Valer,  doesn't have a reputation to lose....this is the 1st time he caddied for Chen....you need to earn a reputation 1st.

I don't understand that. Of course he does.

[NM Golf]

15 hours ago, Mr22putt said:

Chen's caddie, Alex Valer,  doesn't have a reputation to lose....this is the 1st time he caddied for Chen....you need to earn a reputation 1st.

He's simply a journeyman loop...the best bag he could obtain for 2018 was Katelyn Sepmoree who made only $16,000 on the LPGA and Symetra tour.

Considering LPGA/Symetra journeymen caddies pay for their own travel expenses....I think a caddie at Bandon or Pebble could have made more after expense earnings over 3 months vs. what he made carrying Katelyn's bag all year.

So he doesn't have any higher aspirations? Do you know this man? I disagree, if you are on a Tour like that you don't want the reputation you were complicit with someone who has been branded a cheater.

[rehmwa]

15 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

So he doesn't have any higher aspirations? Do you know this man? I disagree, if you are on a Tour like that you don't want the reputation you were complicit with someone who has been branded a cheater.

aspirations or not, the interviews reads he's saying he did the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing for him and the field - which really is more laudable than doing the right thing based on worrying about what others might think if he didn't or just to bury the player for her mistake.

Pretty crappy for him to have been forced intp that position - he pretty much did the only decent thing available to him.  I think the interview is done well too - just lay out the facts and how it bothered him without embellishing or branding or anything more or less.  For someone who was in the middle of it, it's a lot more classier than likely any casual outside observer's response - he comes across well.

(seems like just thing to reinforce or establish a good reputation....)

Edited November 6, 2018 by rehmwa

[DeadMan]

I would also imagine players want caddies who understand basic rules like this one. As a player, don't you want your caddy to protect you against possible penalties, such as a DQ? You don't want to be the caddy when your player gets DQed, and you could have prevented it.

[Lihu]

On 11/5/2018 at 7:45 AM, rehmwa said:

tough one - once told it was kicked, the question "Well, where was it before it was kicked?" seems pretty obvious....and especially when the only info provided was it was moved from a 'good lie' to a 'bad lie'.  One would want to know where that 'good lie' was in the first place

gotta be mad at mom though....

Yeah, any question about the ball, just call a rules official to yell at your mom 😁

[Slim_Pivot]

This may not be the right place for this so sorry in advance. But is out of bounds even a fair rule? I never understood the purpose of stroke AND distance. Off the planet OB is one thing, but that OB at carnoustie (for example) was ridiculous.

[Vinsk]

1 minute ago, Slim_Pivot said:

This may not be the right place for this so sorry in advance. But is out of bounds even a fair rule? I never understood the purpose of stroke AND distance. Off the planet OB is one thing, but that OB at carnoustie (for example) was ridiculous.

OT, yes. But OB is OB.

[Pretzel]

10 minutes ago, Slim_Pivot said:

This may not be the right place for this so sorry in advance. But is out of bounds even a fair rule? I never understood the purpose of stroke AND distance. Off the planet OB is one thing, but that OB at carnoustie (for example) was ridiculous.

Rules are fair if they apply equally to everyone. Out of bounds is a hard limit on where you are allowed to play golf, which is necessarily heavily penalized to discourage golfers from hitting their balls off the course itself to try and gain a potential advantage. Golfers who attempt to play from out of bounds face not just a rules violation, but often times could potentially be charged with trespassing or be liable for damaged property (if they attempt to hit and damage lawns, houses, or more from out of bounds) depending on how it all goes down. It's reasonable to have harsh penalties in game for an action that could potentially have criminal or civil penalties outside of the game.

In this case the player should know the simple rule behind her DQ: a ball that is virtually certain to have been moved by an outside agency (as in this case) must be replaced. This is a basic rule of golf, and players need to know it instead of just assuming the answer is always, "Play it as it lies".

[Vinsk]

On 11/5/2018 at 7:04 AM, dennyjones said:

Chen said: “She told me that she didn’t and she doesn’t know. And if she did, it may be by accident and she wasn’t aware.”

Classic mumbling replacing the truth. Sounds like Richard Pryor’s bit about his son and the broken vase. 

[turtleback]

I'm surprised that no reporter has tracked down the homeowner and goften their view of what happened, since they seem to be in a position to tell us whether the player or the caddy is lying.  If she cheated and then lied about it a multi-year suspension from any professional tour should be in order.

[Herkimer]

She wanted to cheat and get away with it.  I'm glad she didn't.