Doris Chen was disqualified in Round 7 of the LPGA's first-ever Q-Series at Pinehurst in North Carolina after she played a ball which had been moved from out of bounds back in play.
Chen, the 2014 NCAA women's individual champion, was playing No. 17 on Pinehurst No. 7 when she hit a drive down the left side of the hole. The tee shot landed out of bounds. When Chen and her caddie arrived at the ball, it was in bounds, moved by an outside agency, which Golfweek reports was Chen's mother. Chen, aware of the ball being moved, played it anyhow.
Since Chen did not fix the error by playing the ball out of bounds and re-teeing after taking a penalty, once she teed off on No. 18, she broke Rule 15-3 and was disqualified.
Through six rounds of the eight-round, two-week event, Chen was 14 over and needed two great rounds to finish inside the top 45 and ties to earn LPGA status for the 2019 season. Chen struggled on the Symetra Tour in 2018, earning just $643 in 12 starts. She landed in the 102-player Q-Series by finishing T-21 in the second stage of Q-School in Venice, Fla.
The LPGA told Golfweek any potential further penalties or sanctions would be kept between them and Chen.
