Nasa Hataoka had a strong start at the Shoprite LPGA Classic, scoring a 6-under 65 that positioned her tied for third, just two shots from the lead. However, her fortunes changed dramatically the following day.
The LPGA declared on Saturday that Hataoka was disqualified for exceeding the 3-minute limit to find a lost ball, as stipulated in Rule 18.2a. Consequently, she played from the wrong spot (Rule 14.7) since she didn’t follow the stroke and distance procedure (Rule 18.2b).
Hataoka’s second shot on the ninth hole of the Seaview Golf Club’s par-5 ended up in thick fescue. She, along with over a dozen people including Golf Channel’s Tom Abbott, searched for the ball. Abbott mentioned on the broadcast that there was concern over the time taken, but no one was timing it. Finally, a cameraman spotted the ball, and a rules official helped Hataoka take an unplayable. Abbott noted, ‘There doesn’t seem to be any chat about the time it took to find the ball.’
Rule 18.2a clearly states a ball is considered lost if not found within three minutes of starting the search. Rule 18.2b requires the player to take stroke-and-distance relief if the ball is lost or out of bounds. Furthermore, Rule 14.7b(1) mandates disqualification if the mistake isn’t corrected before turning in the scorecard or starting a new hole.
Jenny Shin, who led the tournament after 36 holes, shared her thoughts on Twitter, calling the disqualification ‘probably controversial.’ She questioned whether anyone timed the search and suggested that the absence of timing by the present rules official or other players was noteworthy. ‘This is probably costing her dearly for the Olympics coming up. Not ideal,’ Shin commented.
At present, Hataoka ranks No. 19 in the Rolex Rankings, making her the second-highest-ranked player from Japan, just ahead of Ayaka Furue who is ranked No. 22.
The disqualification is a significant setback for Hataoka, particularly with the upcoming Olympics. The incident has ignited a discussion about the rigor and fairness of time-tracking during play.
Source: Nbcsports
