Spaniard Carlota Ciganda has been disqualified from the Amundi Evian Championship.
Ciganda was handed a two-stroke penalty for slow play on her final hole of a wind-affected second round. Ciganda then appealed the decision, but when it was denied, she refused to add the penalty to her signed scorecard, which resulted in her disqualification.
A spokesperson elaborated on the decision in a statement, explaining: "On the ninth hole [the group's last hole of the day after starting on No 10], Carlota Ciganda's shot times prompted a two-stroke penalty per the LPGA Tour's Pace of Play Policy.
"Ciganda was allowed an appeal with the advance and lead rules officials before returning her scorecard, which was heard and denied. Therefore, a two-stroke penalty was upheld.
"Ciganda opted not to add the two-stroke penalty to her signed scorecard. She was told that leaving the official recording area with a signed score lower (without the penalty strokes) would lead to disqualification, and left on her own accord.”
The two-shot penalty would have left Ciganda on six-over – a score that would have seen her miss the cut.
The issue of slow play was present throughout the second round, in part thanks to the windy conditions at the course. Earlier, Jessica Korda, who is not playing in this year’s tournament because of a back injury, singled out the 16th hole as an issue.
She wrote on Twitter: “Guys.. 16 it’s a stressful hole - always- and now you get to sit on the tee-box for 10-15th or more and watch the carnage that’s happening in the group in front. No wonder the rounds are 6+ hrs. Don’t blame slow play on the players today.”
Guys.. 16 😅 .. it’s a stressful hole - always- and now you get to sit on the tee-box for 10-15th or more and watch the carnage that’s happening in the group in front. No wonder the rounds are 6+ hrs. Don’t blame slow play on the players today @LPGAJuly 28, 2023
The outcome is far from what Ciganda would have hoped for before the tournament began. In 2022, she finished T3 in the event, and would have been hoping to reproduce that form this year as she went in search of her maiden Major title.
It’s not the first time the 33-year-old has incurred a slow-play penalty either. She also received a penalty at the 2021 Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play, which prevented her winning the tournament.
Celine Boutier is at the top of the leaderboard heading into the third round.
