Another USGA championship and another controversy at the U.S. Women’s Open. This is getting old but first let’s talk about the winner.
Brittany Lang came from two strokes back on a tough course to finish at six under and tie Anna Nordgvist and then eventually defeat her in a playoff.
Third round leader Lydia Ko and Sung Hyun Park who had the lead at one time faded after they were put on the clock on the twelfth hole and left Lang and Nordqvist to fight it out.
Nordqvist had battled to a share of the lead from six strokes back at the start of play. Lang had taken the lead by herself with a birdie on sixteen to get to seven under. But she stumbled with a bogey on the next to fall back into a tie.
When all she could do was par the eighteenth the two went to a three hole aggregate playoff.
Both took par on the par three sixteenth and appeared to have shared pars at seventeen also. But that’s when things went sideways, again.
Visions of Dustin Johnson at Oakmont flashed through our heads as Joe Buck started to talk about a possible penalty to Nordqvist. She had found a fairway bunker on seventeen and played what all of us saw as a normal bunker shot. But we were now watching a video shot zoomed in on Nordqvist’s club in the bunker and as she started her takeaway the bottom of her club touched a few grains of sand.
Right there, while Buck wavered we all knew there would be a penalty. The problem was that the players had already hit their second layup shots on the par five eighteenth hole. Immediately the debate started with Paul Azinger taking the lead and he was saying that the USGA needed to get to the players quicker to tell them the penalty situation.
As soon as Nordqvist hit her wedge to the green, thinking she was still tied with Lang, the USGA pulled he aside and issued the two stroke penalty. And then they informed Lang before she hit her third shot.
So instead of Lang being even with Nordqvist she had a two shot lead and immediately changed strategy and clubs. She hit to the safe part of the green instead of having to challenge the pin.
The timing could have been better. Maybe if Nordqvist knows before she hits her approach she tries to hole it. Maybe if Lang isn’t told she plays more aggressively. As it worked out it was bad for everyone.
Yes, Lang won her first major and that’s wonderful for her but she much rather would have chosen a bit less controversy, especially when it was a good friend of hers.
Nordqvist should be commended, not only for her comeback and excellent play but for the way she took the penalty without flinching and for the graciousness she showed afterwards.
But once again a showcase for the USGA comes off looking botched. Yes, the rule was broken and we can debate the effect that moving thee grains of sand has on a shot another time, but it just leaves a bad taste in our mouths.
Both women should be commended for fine play, sportsmanship and class as they handled a bad situation like champions.
But only Brittany Lang takes home the trophy.
Highlights of Lang’s round.
.@blanggolf's victory in the 71st #USWomensOpen earns her the @Lexus Top Performance of the Day.https://t.co/zdzwjyExCW
— USGA (@USGA) July 11, 2016
Nordqvist’s penalty.
And her classy comments afterwards.
And more comments from all involved.
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