IRVING, Texas (AP) – Lexi Thompson paused, tears welling up in her eyes, when asked about how difficult things have been since a viewer-cited penalty cost her the chance to win the LPGA Tour’s first major of the year.
Thompson stopped for more than 30 seconds after starting to answer the question Wednesday, a day before teeing off in Texas for her first tournament since the ANA Inspiration.
She lost in a playoff in California, where she had been penalized four strokes for mistakenly remarking her ball and signing an incorrect scorecard following the infraction pointed out by a television viewer’s email. She was informed on the 13th hole during the final round on April 2 for what had happened the previous day.
The rules of how television replays can be applied changed this week, but Thompson didn’t know if that would have made a difference if those changes had already been in effect.
