‘I Did Not Mean It at All’: After Unintentionally Breaking ‘Rules of Golf’, LPGA Star Lexi Thompson Once Came Clean After Her Infamous Ruling

Alexis Noel Thompson a.k.a. Lexi Thompson is one of the biggest names on the LPGA Tour. The American professional golfer has been playing professional golf from a very young age. Moreover, she became the youngest player to qualify for the US Women’s Open when she was merely 12 years old.

However, there was a time when Thompson was surrounded by a controversy related to her breaking the rules of golf. And while explaining her side of the story about the accusations, the golfer was found shedding a few tears of regret.

Lexi Thompson allegedly made a small mistake cited by viewers during the ANA Inspiration in California in 2017. And as a result, she lost the chance to win the first major of the year on the LPGA Tour. The golfer took a 30-second break before she could find the words to answer the questions regarding the issue in a later interview.

“That’s one of my favorite tournaments, and it’s always a dream of mine to just see myself jumping into Poppie’s Pond,” said Thompson. For those who aren’t aware of the controversy, Thompson was on the 13th hole during the final round and had a three-stroke lead in the tournament. But it was only until she was informed that she received a four-stroke penalty for an infraction on the 17th hole a day before. And to her surprise, the issue was highlighted by a television viewer by email.

According to Thompson, she did not put the ball in the wrong place intentionally on the Dinah Shore Course. “I have seen the video and I can see where they’re coming from with it. It might have been, I guess, me rotating the ball,” she said. She also mentioned how much she respected the official rules of the game. “I have always played by the Rules of Golf. … I did not mean it at all,” she added.

Thompson said new rules are great for golf
The ruling bodies of golf announced a new decision that limited the usage of video evidence highlighting instances resulting in players being penalized. According to the new decision, players could avoid penalties if they were not seen breaking rules by the naked eye. Golfers could also justify taking a drop or replacing their golf balls with reasonable judgment.

However, Thompson said she had not read a lot about the new rules. But she agreed to the fact that “any rule that’s made to make the game more simple, I think, is great for the game of golf.” Thompson has made numerous records on the field during her career. But a small mistake cost her the opportunity to have a sure-shot victory during the game.