Although ruling stands, LPGA official acknowledges incorrect options given to Ji Young Oh

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RANCHO MIRAGE -- An LPGA rules official acknowledged, in a statement released today, the failure to give three options to Ji Young Oh when her ball was at rest on the 18th green on Friday in the second round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club.

As explained in today’s game story, Oh marked her ball, replaced it and then backed up from the ball. When the ball rolled into the water, she was called for a one-stroke penalty. But Oh elected to play the ball from the previous spot.

In the statement, Doug Brecht, LPGA vice president of rules and competition, said Oh should’ve been given these three options:

1. Keep the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard and go back as far as she wanted.

2. Use the drop zone located on the tee side of the hazard.

3. Go back to where she played her previous shot from.

Oh dropped from second (a 67 on Thursday) to an eight-way tie for 18th place after a 78. Despite the failed instructions, Brecht said her score won’t change.

‘I incorrectly told her to place her ball where it was at rest before it rolled into the hazard,’ Brecht said in the statement. ‘Because that was not an option available to her under 26-1, the ruling I gave her was incorrect. The ruling stands as is and no other corrections or additions will be made to her score.’

-- Mark Medina