Rule 8.1a: A player must not move, bend, or break any natural object, immovable obstruction, or tee marker to improve the conditions affecting the stroke. A player should also not move the loose impediment or movable obstruction into position or alter the surface of the ground.

Two-time LPGA winner Lottie Woad was making her debut at the US Women’s Open this year. However, her Saturday did not give her any happy news as she got penalized under Rule 8.1a. The current world No. 6 made the cut on the number at Riviera to reach Saturday but had a mishap on the par-4 ninth. Golf.com reported that this happened when her approach shot ended up buried in the right greenside bunker.

While trying to get out of the bunker, she slipped on her first attempt, then recovered, got the ball out, and finished the hole with a bogey. However, according to the Golf.com report, a rules official asked her to be cautious about building a stance. In fact, the TV analyst also opined that she was not allowed to gather sand, which she seemed to be doing.

Later USGA officials reviewed the situation and deemed that Woad’s actions amounted to improving her stance on the bunker, which is prohibited. As a result, she was assessed a two-stroke penalty. Her bogey turned into a double-bogey 7, and her round ended at 3-over 74. This is the first major rules breach in her career.

The USGA wants golfers to play as it lies. Digging in with your feet is allowed, but only up to a point. Rule 8.1b(6) makes it tougher: If the ball is in a tough spot, you do not get a normal stance. You must do the minimum needed to play the shot. On a steep bunker face, this rule matters.

Woad’s ball was buried, and to reach it, she had to find her footing on a sharp slope. Officials decided she went too far and changed the conditions for her shot, which, according to them, was a breach. Two holes later, she was handed the two-stroke penalty and no appeal.

Golf has a history of letting its rules decide outcomes, and in the past, it has decided many outcomes.

One such instance occurred for Anna Nordqvist at CordeValle in 2016. She was tied with Brittany Lang after 72 holes at the U.S. Women’s Open and played the par-4 17th in a three-hole playoff. During her backswing, her 5-iron touched the sand, and while no one on the course noticed, a television camera caught it on replay. As a result, the USGA gave her a two-stroke penalty under Rule 13-4b.

Nordqvist only learned about the penalty after she had played her approach on the last playoff hole. Lang finished her hole with a par while Nordqvist ended up with a bogey and lost by three shots.

“It wasn’t my intention to ground the club,” said Nordqvist. “It’s blowing 35 to 40 [kilometers] per hour out there, and I had a 5-iron off a downhill lie. It’s been a long day, a long week. So I probably misjudged it a little bit and touched a little bit of sand. That’s a penalty.”

Lexi Thompson‘s 2017 ANA Inspiration stands out for its timing. During the final round on Sunday, a television viewer emailed the LPGA to report that Thompson had replaced her ball incorrectly on the 17th green in Round 3. The penalty was two strokes for the incorrect placement and two more for signing an incorrect scorecard. The four-stroke dropped her score from 16 under to 14 under. Despite this, she managed to birdie her way into a playoff but lost to So Yeon Ryu on the first hole.

Next was Ciganda at the 2023 Evian, during the second round. She got a two-stroke penalty for slow play on her last hole. She didn’t accept the penalty, signed her scorecard without it, and was disqualified. But for Woad, who dominated the amateur world, this is a new lesson to learn.

Lottie Woad’s amateur career made her the last person you’d expect here

Before turning professional, Woad established herself by winning the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She became the first European champion in the event’s history. In June, she reached World No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Woad was also awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading female amateur of 2024, and for this, as well, she was the first Englishwoman to achieve this. She turned professional in the summer of 2025 and became the first player to secure an LPGA card through the tour’s LEAP program.

Success in the LPGA didn’t take time either. She won the Women’s Scottish Open on her professional debut by three shots. Her second LPGA title came at the Kroger Queen City Championship in May 2026.

Notably, her transition from World No. 1 amateur golfer to No. 6 in the LPGA ranking took less than a year. Now, how her Sunday turns out at Riviera remains to be seen.