For the second straight year, 2022 champion Anna Davis was involved in a rules controversy at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Davis was penalised a shot for slow play on the 17th hole which caused her to miss the halfway cut by one at Champions Retreat and miss out on a weekend at Augusta National.
“Anna Davis was assessed a one-stroke penalty for violation of the Tournament’s Pace of Play Policy,” tournament rules chairman, Jim Hyler wrote in a statement.
“Her group, which included Lottie Woad and Maria Jose Marin, was notified that they were out of position multiple times during their second round. While being timed, Davis received her first bad time after playing her second stroke on hole No. 5 and received her second bad time following her second stroke on hole No. 17. She was subsequently assessed a one-stroke penalty, which was applied on hole No. 17.”
Davis eventually signed for a six-over 78 for a four-over total through 36 holes meaning she will not progress to the final round which is played at Augusta National.
This isn’t the first time Davis has been penalised at this tournament.
Just last year at the ANWA, Davis received a pair of two-shot penalties after she lifted, cleaned and replaced her golf ball while it was in the rough after hitting her drive on the first hole of round one and she repeated the action after hitting her second shot to the green.
According to the Model Local Rule E-3 distributed by the ANWA competition committee, the field of 72 players was only allowed to play preferred lies from the areas cut to the fairway height or less.
England’s Lottie Woad leads the field by two shots on five-under-par after rounds of 68 and 71 with world number one amateur Ingrid Lindblad in a share of fifth place on one-under-par.
There are no Irish players in the field after the likes of Lauren Walsh, Olivia Mehaffey and Julie McCarthy competed in recent years.
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