In most sports, the rules of the game are violated all the time. Nudge an opponent when she goes up for a rebound. Hold the jersey of a pass rusher. Hold the ball up like you made the diving catch even though it hit the ground first.
It`s about what you can get away with, for the most part.
And if you are penalized, it might be a couple of free throws, a 15 yard penalty, a call that goes against you, all usually forgotten five minutes later.
Golf is different. Totally different culture. You are required to call penalties on yourself, sometimes for the silliest things. The ball moves when you are at address, even though you did not cause it to move. You don`t drop the ball correctly. You don`t place the ball back on the green precisely where you marked it. You ground your club in a bunker that doesn`t look like a bunker.
Your opponent is also required to call a penalty on you if he or she sees something awry, in order to protect the field and the integrity of the game.
In part because there isn`t usually an official right there to make a call, but it is way more than that.
And the penalties are usually draconian, as here. Disqualification is normally the result. Best case is often a two stroke penalty if it is caught in time.
I think that the pro tours have eliminated the practice of allowing fans watching on television to "call in" violations. That is probably a good thing, in my opinion. But still, the players themselves are held to a very high standard of honor.
This is pretty bad since the golfer apparently knew what happened and played the ball any way. She could have asked for a ruling if there was any question, and then gone back to tee it up for her third shot. Her statement about the incident seems disingenuous when compared with the LPGA statement. If (contrary to the LPGA statement) she actually did not know, that would be a grey horse of a different color reputation wise although the disqualification would still stand.
So, I think this stays with her for a long time.
