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USGA Levies Slow-Play Penalty Against Amateur

Rounds taking nearly six hours have been the rule, not the exception this week at the U.S. Women’s Open, and after two-and-a-half days of competition, the USGA penalized just one of the culprits.

Stanford junior Andrea Lee was hit with a one-stroke penalty on Saturday at the Country Club of Charleston after having a bad time and receiving a warning.


“She had a bad time and she was given a warning. She should’ve figured it out,” David Fay, the former USGA executive director, said.

Lee was outside the top-50 and struggling when she received word that she would have to add another stroke to her score. The fourth-ranked amateur in the world, Lee is competing in her third U.S. Women’s Open.

She would eventually sign for a 7-over par 79 and she sits in a tie for 66th heading into the final round. 

China’s Yu Liu and France’s Celine Boutier, former Duke University teammates, lead Lexi Thompson, Jaye Marie Green and 36-hole leader Mamiko Higa of Japan by a stroke heading into the final round.