Several LPGA players stuck in traffic thanks to lost van at Ochoa Invitational
Under the Rules of Golf, a player is disqualified if they don’t show up for their tee time. But the LPGA made an exception for four players in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational field — and for good reason.
Carlota Ciganda, Suzann Pettersen, Angela Stanford and Minjee Lee left their Mexico City hotel around 9:30 a.m., headed to Club de Golf Mexico for the third round of the 36-player event in a tournament-provided shuttle. However, Mexico City traffic and road work got the best of the shuttle driver, forcing the driver to find a detour. Unfortunately, that detour apparently turned what should have been a 20-minute ride into a two-hour ordeal.
Stanford tweeted about the experience while on the shuttle, fretting as the minutes ticked down to her tee time, the second to last on the day.
Ultimately, the LPGA decided that the situation was wholly out of the control of the players, letting all four play, citing Decision 6-3a/1.5 under the Rules of Golf in choosing to push back the final three times after deciding there were “exceptional circumstances beyond the players’ control.”
The ordeal seemed to affect Stanford worst of all, as she shot 4-over 76 that took her from a tie for second to a tie for 14th, nine shots off of the lead of Inbee Park. Pettersen shot 75, while Lee shot 73.
Ciganda was the only player on the ill-fated shuttle to break par on Saturday, shooting 69 that moved her four shots behind Park and into a tie for third place at 6-under 210.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
