‘My Intention Was to Help’: Looking Back at an LPGA Controversy That Shocked the Golf Community in 2019

There are a host of reasons that could get you penalized in golf. Slamming your club on the course, making a careless action to distract another player from making a stroke, or stopping a moving ball, are just some of the examples that require sanctioning. However, have you ever heard of the ‘Backstopping’ rule and its consequences?

What does the rule actually mean? The basic understanding of the rule is when a player does not mark their ball on the green in order to create a “backstop” for another player’s shot. While the rule doesn’t find a place in regular golf, it was in the heat of the moment in 2019, when LPGA golfers Amy Olsen and Ariya Jutanugarn appeared to have executed a backstopping strategy.

What happened in the LPGA Tour regarding the ‘Backstopping’ rule?

The incident occurred on the 18th tee at the 2019 Honda LPGA Thailand event. Then World No. 1, homegirl Ariya Jutanugarn, hit a chip that landed a few feet off the hole for a regular tap-in. However, she decided that a marking won’t be necessary and let the ball be on the course.

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This led to an unfair advantage for the following player, 30-year-old Amy Olson. From a similar position, she chose to mimic Jutanugarn’s shot that hit the latter’s ball. When the balls halted eventually, the pair had a relatively easy putt to make. Here’s the video of the incident.

From the overall assessment of the play, it was evident that Olson’s chip wasn’t going to land in proximity to the hole. But the clash with the Thai golfer’s ball arguably gave her a better position for putt than the latter herself.

Was the act considered illegal?

After much speculation, the Tour committee decided not to enforce the backstopping law. The judgment began a series of discussions surrounding the regulations, with PGA golfer Jimmy Walker arguing the malpractice occurred even on the men’s Tour without any repercussions.

In her statement on the decision, Olson pleaded guilty. “We had waited on 18th tee, for 10 minutes in 18th fairway and Michelle [Wie] was waiting for a ruling,” Olson said. “To help pace of play, Ariya and I went before Michelle even though she was out. Ariya’s ball was not in my intended line and to help move things along, I told her it was fine.… My intention was to help pace of play.”

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If evoked, the penalty for backstopping is technically a two-stroke penalty. The question is – will we see any player disciplined at all with the ruling? Comment down below.