Carlota Ciganda disqualified after slow play row at Evian Championship

Carlota Ciganda was disqualified from the Evian Championship after refusing to accept a slow play penalty.

The Spaniard shot 72 in the second round at the French resort but was penalised for breaching the LPGA Tour’s Pace of Play policy.

In an emailed statement reported by various media, an LPGA spokesperson wrote that Ciganda’s group, which also included Anna Nordqvist and Celine Herbin, received a warning on the seventh hole after being out of position.

The statement read: “The group failed to make up time through the seventh hole, therefore the group was timed starting on No. 8.

“On the ninth hole [the group’s last hole of the day after starting on No. 10], Carlota Ciganda’s shot times prompted a two-stroke penalty per the LPGA Tour’s Pace of Play Policy.

“Ciganda was allowed an appeal with the advance and lead rules officials before returning her scorecard, which was heard and denied.

“Therefore, a two-stroke penalty was upheld. Ciganda opted not to add the two-stroke penalty to her signed scorecard. She was told that leaving the official recording area with a signed score lower (without the penalty strokes) would lead to disqualification, and left on her own accord.

“Rule 3.3b(3) states that if a returned score is lower than the actual score, the player is disqualified from the competition.

“The exception to this rule does not apply because Ciganda was aware of the penalty strokes received and upheld before signing her scorecard and leaving the recording area.”

Had she accepted the penalty, Ciganda would have missed the cut by two shots. Without it, she would have made the weekend on the number.

In a story on her instagram page, Ciganda responded to the disqualifcation, writing: “I got a few messages about the DQ from yesterday.

“I want to be very clear and the reason I did not sign a 7 on the last hole is because I don’t think I took 52 seconds like the Rules Official said.

“I had a 10 footer on the last hole, last put [putt, sic] and the group behind they were not even on the tee on a par 5.

“Very poor performance from the LPGA rules official, they don’t understand what professional golf is about, they only look at their stopwatch like if 20 seconds is going to make a difference.

“I had family and friends watching and they all said it was impossible I took that long to hit that putt!

“Yesterday was tough out there with windy conditions and difficult pins and I wish everyone gets treated the same and they don’t pick on the same players all the time! That’s all!” 

What do you think about the Carlota Ciganda slow play penalty? What do you think about slow play on the professional tours? Let us know with a tweet.

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