Golfer Penalised 58 Strokes During Senior LPGA Championship

Lee Ann Walker didn't know that players could no longer be lined up by their caddies

Golfer Penalised 58 Strokes During Senior LPGA Championship

A player competing in the Senior LPGA Championship was penalised 58 strokes over the course of two rounds.

Lee Ann Walker shot rounds of 85 and 74 at French Lick in Indiana but had to add 42 strokes to her opening round and 16 more to her second round.

That took her scores to 127 for the first round, including a birdie on the last, and 90 in round two for a total score of 73 over par.

She would have missed the cut by one but was ultimately 59 strokes off after the penalty shots were added.

Walker was penalised because she and her caddie were unaware of the new 2019 Rule that doesn't allow players to be lined up.

Her caddie was lining her up on all of her putts and after a fellow caddie in the group pointed it out during the second round, she was penalised two strokes for every time it happened.

It was worked out that it happened 21 times on day one and eight times in the second round.

“This is my first competitive round since 2011 or 2012,” Walker said.

“Now that I don’t play the LPGA anymore, I don’t watch golf.

"I knew there were rules changes. I just honestly didn’t know ’em. Just plain and simple.

"My stupidity for not going over the rules changes.”

Related: USGA says "we need to talk" after Justin Thomas' rules rant

Walker played on the LPGA Tour for 13 years after making her debut in 1995.

She also played on the Symetra Tour but now works as an estate agent.

Helen Alfredsson won the event by three strokes with a total of two under par for 54 holes.

She was three ahead of Juli Inkster in 2nd.

England's Trish Johnson came tied-third at two over with Moira Dunn-Bohls.

Related: Koepka plays down McIlroy rivalry - 'He hasn't won a Major in five years'

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