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Golfers explode as Lexi Thompson issued absurd 3rd-round penalty a day later

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

For the third time in a year, the absurd enforcement of the rules of golf have threatened to ruin a major championship.

The latest incident came from the LPGA's ANA Inspiration on Sunday, when leader Lexi Thompson was assessed a four-stroke penalty on the 12th hole from an infraction that happened the day before during the third round.

Thompson was penalized for incorrectly replacing her ball on the green during Saturday's third round, but it wasn't noticed until a viewer called in to report the violation on Sunday.

For some reason the LPGA saw fit to hit Thompson with the penalty while she was leading on the 12th hole, in a ruling eerily similar to what Dustin Johnson had to deal with in last year's US Open.

The top-ranked men's golfer in the world thought he avoided a penalty on the fifth green of the final round when his ball looked to have moved after he addressed it. The rules official for his group confirmed that no penalty would be given. Six holes later, Johnson was told that they were reopening the case and he would finish the round unclear if he was to be penalized.

Thompson went from leading by two strokes at 16-under to trailing by two at 12-under without striking a shot.

The ruling caught the eye of golfers around the world, including Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas, who both voiced their support for Thompson.

Regardless of how the event turns out, there seems to be a general consensus among golfers that people who call in rules violations from home need to find a new hobby real fast.

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