Carlota Ciganda and Noh Ye-rin both hit with two-stroke penalties at Buick LPGA Shanghai

Carlota Ciganda reacts after receiving a two-stroke slow-play penalty during the third round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai on Saturday. [Getty Images]
Carlota Ciganda reacts after receiving a two-stroke slow-play penalty during the third round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai on Saturday. [Getty Images]

Two players received two-stroke slow-play penalties in the same round of an LPGA Tour event, turning pars into double bogeys in each case.

Carlota Ciganda (36, Spain) and Noh Ye-rin (25, United States) were each penalized two strokes for pace-of-play violations during the third round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai at Seosan Golf Club (par 72) in Shanghai, China, on Saturday.

Ciganda made par on the par-4 13th hole, but the two-stroke penalty converted it into a double bogey on her scorecard. Noh also made par on the 15th hole, only to have it recorded as a double bogey for the same reason.

For Ciganda, who was in contention for the title, the penalty was particularly costly. She recovered with consecutive birdies on the 14th and 15th holes immediately afterward, but finished the third round at 1-under-par 71, leaving her at 4-under-par 212 in a tie for fourth place — five strokes behind leader Choi Hye-jin. Without the penalty, she would have been within three strokes of the lead.

Noh carded a 4-over-par 76 on Saturday and dropped into a tie for 31st place.

The LPGA Tour tightened its pace-of-play rules last year to reduce slow play. Under the current policy, a player who exceeds her allotted cumulative time by one to five seconds receives a fine; six to 15 seconds over draws a one-stroke penalty; and 16 or more seconds over results in a two-stroke penalty. The stricter rules took effect in March last year.

Under normal procedures, a group that falls behind the group ahead receives a warning first, and individual players are timed only if the pace does not improve. However, officials may begin timing without a prior warning depending on circumstances.

Noh Ye-rin also received a two-stroke slow-play penalty during the third round of the same tournament. [Getty Images]
Noh Ye-rin also received a two-stroke slow-play penalty during the third round of the same tournament. [Getty Images]

The incident draws added attention because both players have prior slow-play violations on their records. Ciganda was penalized two strokes for slow play at the 2023 Evian Championship, a major. She contested the ruling, and when her appeal was rejected she submitted a scorecard that did not reflect the penalty — ultimately resulting in disqualification for returning a score lower than she had actually made.

Noh also has a prior slow-play record: in 2021, her second year on tour, she was fined $10,000 at the Kia Classic for slow play. She had exceeded the allotted time twice during the third round that week and finished in a tie for 61st place, earning $4,247 in prize money — less than half the fine she was required to pay.

The stricter rules are also affecting title races. At the ShopRite LPGA Classic in May, Arphichaya Yubol of Thailand received a one-stroke slow-play penalty on the 13th hole in the second round. Yubol finished at 8-under-par, one stroke behind champion Celine Boutier of France, missing out on a playoff.

Meanwhile, Yin Ruoning of China won the Buick LPGA Shanghai, which concluded Sunday, with an 11-under-par total of 277. Choi Hye-jin finished one stroke back in second place.


yjc@heraldcorp.com