Lexi Thompson's 2017 Ruling: Mark Your Ball, Then Let Go

In the final round of the 2017 ANA Inspiration, one of the LPGA's majors, 22-year-old Lexi Thompson was leading when an official walked up with news no golfer wants. Something she'd done the day before, on a tiny putt, had cost her four shots. What she did next is the real lesson.

The moment

On the 17th green in the third round, Thompson marked her ball, lifted it, and put it back down in a slightly different spot before a short putt. Nobody noticed, Thompson included, and she signed her scorecard.

The next day, a TV viewer emailed the LPGA about it. Officials reviewed the video and, with Thompson holding a two-stroke lead through 12 holes of the final round, told her she had two penalties: two strokes for playing from the wrong place and two more for signing a card that didn't include them. A four-shot swing, with six holes to play.

She was in tears. Then she went back to work. Thompson finished with a 5-under 67 and tied So Yeon Ryu at 14 under, forcing a playoff. Ryu won it with a birdie on the first extra hole.

The USGA said she handled it "with poise and professionalism." Within weeks, golf's rule-makers changed how video evidence is used, so a player's reasonable judgment, like where they put a ball back, is now accepted even if a close-up camera later shows a tiny difference.

Your first-nine lesson: a simple mark, then a simple reset

You won't have TV cameras on your first nine. But marking your ball well is a nice habit, and it keeps putting calm.

• Coin behind, ball in front. Set a coin or ball marker right behind your ball, lift the ball, and when it's your turn, put the ball back right in front of the coin. Then pick up the coin. Our putting basics guide covers the rest of the green.
• Close enough is honest. Do your reasonable best and play on. That's what the rules ask, too. Our rules for beginners guide keeps the essentials short.
• When something goes wrong, take one breath and play the next shot. Thompson got the worst news of her week mid-round and still played the last six holes beautifully. A lost ball or a bad bounce on your first nine is smaller than that. The next shot is all that matters.

Related guides and stories

• Putting basics for beginners
• Golf rules for beginners: the ones that matter on your first nine
• More “even the greats” stories
• Start here

Sources

• USGA (official), "Inside the Lexi Thompson Penalty," April 2017
• The Guardian, "Lexi Thompson's major bid ruined after four-stroke penalty reported by TV viewer," Apr 2, 2017
• CNN, "Lexi Thompson pays price for TV viewer's intervention," Apr 3, 2017
• Washington Post, "Lexi Thompson lost an LPGA major after a TV viewer's email prompted a four-stroke penalty," Apr 3, 2017
• BBC Sport, "Golf video technology changes made after Lexi Thompson controversy," April 2017

Facts are taken from the official and news sources above. Players are named with respect; no player photos or video are used on this page.