Annika’s fans were very happy to see her back in competition last weekend. Unfortunately, she was in the center of a bad ruling on the 5th hole of the first round.
THE FACTS
Her ball was very near a gate and she asked a referee for a free relief, because the gate was easily movable. The referee denied her the relief and she had to take an unplayable with a one-stroke penalty.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/annika-sorenstam-ruling-lpga-gainbridge
Wrong decision
Under the LPGA annual local rules, a gate situated on a Out of Bounds fence is considered an integral part. A player may not obtain a free relief from an immovable obstruction but is allowed to open the gate is it is easily movable.
In all my tournaments, I always ask the referees to share with all the other referees any ruling out of the ordinary while the ruling is made. This is to avoid any mistakes.
CAN WE CORRECT A MISTAKE?
When a players play from another place because of a bad ruling, it is not possible to correct. In this incident, the incorrect ruling made Annika play her next stroke close to 2 club-length from the original position.
INFORMATION ON OUT OF BOUNDS OBJECTS
A player is not allowed to remove any white stakes. He is also denied a free relief if the fence interferes with his stance or swing. As a general rule, a door or steps will grant the player a free relief.
If the gate is locked, we are not allowed to use a tool to break the lock…
