Yet another major championship has ended in an unfortunate rules controversy after Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist was given a belated two-stroke penalty for touching the sand in a bunker during a three-hole play-off for the US Women’s Open.
The penalty was only handed out to Nordqvist on the 18th hole, after USGA officials reviewed TV footage of an incident in a fairway bunker on the second play-off hole, where her club was deemed to have grazed the sand as she prepared to take her shot. Nordqvist did not realise it and both players made par on the hole, heading to the final hole seemingly tied.
This led to Swede having already hit her third shot to the 18th green before she was informed of the ruling, effectively handing the title to America’s Brittany Lang, for whom this was her first Major championship victory.
Nordqvist said she would have been more aggressive going for the pin if she knew she needed birdie, while after hearing of her opponent’s penalty, Lang changed clubs for a safer approach shot, knowing a par would win the tournament.
“It wasn’t on purpose. It’s just one of those things,” said Nordqvist. “I wish the USGA would have told me a little bit earlier – they approached me after I already hit my third shot into 18, then kind of ran up to Brittany to tell her that I got penalised. I don’t know if it would have changed the outcome, but it certainly would have changed my aggressiveness into the 18th pin.”
Lang, 30, secured the win with par on the final hole, with Nordqvist recording a bogey to lose by three strokes. Nordqvist had earlier forced a play-off with a five-under final round of 67, with Lang’s one-under-par 71 leaving both women on six-under for the tournament.
“You never want to win with a penalty or something like that happen, especially to Anna, who is a friend of mine and a great player and a classy girl,” Lang said. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s part of the game and it happened that way. I think this is a huge step in the right direction for my career – to say you’ve won the US Open is a huge momentum builder.”
Overnight leader and world number one Lydia Ko dropped back with a three-over 75 to finish in a tie for third on four under overall. England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff shot a two-under 70 to finish in a tie for eighth place.