[Golf Topic] Kim Hyo-joo "Late 2-Stroke Penalty"..."Oso Play?"

Situation at Hole 5, Round 1 of IS Dongseo Busan Open, 'Incorrect Scorecard Submission' Exempted Under New Golf Rules

Kim Hyo-joo taking a bunker shot on the 5th hole during the first round of the IS Dongseo Busan Open. Photo by KLPGA

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ○…'Oso Play.'

Kim Hyo-joo (25, Lotte) received a '2-stroke penalty' during the second round of the KLPGA Tour IS Dongseo Busan Open (total prize money 1 billion KRW) held on the 12th at Stonegate Golf Club in Gijang-gun, Busan (par 72, 6,491 yards). The issue started when her second shot on the 5th hole (par 5) in the first round landed in a greenside bunker. After declaring the ball 'unplayable,' she took an additional 1-stroke penalty and dropped the ball, but there was a problem with the relief area. She played from outside the 1-club length relief area.

Choi Jin-ha, KLPGA Rules Official, stated in a briefing, "After reviewing the golf rules, an additional 2-stroke penalty must be applied." This falls under Rule 14.7 'Playing from a Wrong Place,' which incurs a 2-stroke penalty. However, Kim Hyo-joo was unaware of this fact and recorded a par on her scorecard. "We called Kim Hyo-joo and her playing partners Lee So-young and Kim Min-seon to confirm," he explained, "and Kim Hyo-joo thought the relief area was 2 clubs in length."

Kim Hyo-joo's 'scorecard error' will not be applied. This is an exception under Rule 3.3b (3). "If a player is unaware of a penalty of one or more strokes before submitting the scorecard and omits the penalty, resulting in a lower actual score, disqualification does not apply." It means the penalty for that hole can be added and corrected. Her first-round score was ultimately 3 over par, and she shot 6 under par that day, raising her to a tie for 33rd place (3 under par, 141 strokes).