Unraveling The 2016 US Women’s Open Incident That Cost Anna Nordqvist $810,000 And Her Second Major Title

The leaderboard of the 2016 US Women’s Open read 6-under for both Brittany Lang and Anna Nordqvist after round four. As a result, both players proceeded to face off in a playoff. But what followed next for Nordqvist was nothing short of tragic. 

The Swede grazed the sand with her 5-iron to hit a bunker shot on par-4 17th. It wasn’t until Nordqvist’s third shot on hole 18 that the USGA personnel ran to inform her of the 13-4b rule breach, which would cost her a two-stroke penalty. The infringement was evident on TV, but the delayed notice enraged Nordqvist to the core. Lang ultimately had the upper hand as a result.

OH NO! pic.twitter.com/3IvKImH6uy

— Lance Ringler (@GolfweekRingler) July 10, 2016

“I wish the USGA would have told me a little bit earlier…Hopefully these kind of situations are nothing that no one will ever have to deal with again,” said Nordqvist, disgusted by the situation. 

The instruction helped Brittany Lang save her round. The golfer ultimately readjusted her strategy and selected a longer club. Added to that, she had a two-shot advantage.

“I had lob wedge out, because I was going to hit a high lob wedge to land soft because I thought I needed a birdie…he told me before I hit my wedge. I hit a little sand wedge way out to the right, and just tried to two-putt from over there.”

Ultimately, Lang won the major and bagged a whopping $810,000 in prize money. This wasn’t the first instance where a rule breach cost a golfer a win. A similar situation arose at the 2016 US Open. 

Dustin Johnson’s great penalty ordeal at the 2016 US Open

Although Dustin Johnson lifted the US Open trophy in 2016, Sunday’s round hackled the player. Golf officials called for a review on the fifth green, where his ball glided before being touched. Finally, the penalty was assessed and Johnson finished at 4-under. Luckily, golf pros Jim Furyk and others tied at second for one-under. So, the penalty didn’t influence Johnson’s leaderboard position. 

Johnson had a similar experience at the 2010 PGA Championship where he “grounded his club in what was deemed to be a bunker before his second shot.” This resulted in a two-stroke penalty. However, the LIV golfer doesn’t have to worry about the PGA rules anymore. Currently, the 4 Aces GC captain is focused on his team ventures. 

While penalties are not an uncommon sight to witness during golf tournaments, but often times they end up causing more damage than intended. While Anna Nordqvist missed the chance of adding another major win to her name, the legend managed to leave a legacy to remember for generations to come.

About the author

Suchita Chakraborty

Suchita Chakraborty is a senior golf writer at The SportsRush. She did her post-graduation at St. Xavier's University. For a year now, she has developed a riveting inclination toward golf, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy being her top-tier motivational figures to indulge in the sport. She even lives by the words of the Hall of Famer, "You can always become better", which impels her to excel every day. Her strong suit in golf is covering the LPGA Tour, especially the nooks and crannies of the international event, the Solheim Cup. As a pastime amusement, Suchita also engages herself in reading about golf controversies. Her favorite pick is ‘LIV and Let Die’ by Alan Shipnuck, which covers the PGA-LIV beef.

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