LPGA’s Carlota Ciganda DQ’d From Evian Championship Over Slow Play Dispute and Incorrect Scorecard

Ciganda opted not to include a slow-play penalty on her scorecard at the major championship, despite her appeal to rules officials being denied.

Carlota Ciganda was disqualified from the Evian Championship on Friday following the conclusion of her second round at Evian Resort after she signing for an incorrect scorecard. 

The two-time LPGA Tour winner failed to add a two-stroke slow play penalty to her 1-over score of 72, after disputing the penalty with rules officials and being “heard and denied.”

According to an LPGA spokesperson, Ciganda’s pace violated the LPGA Tour’s Pace of Play Policy, and even after her appeal against the ruling was rejected, the Spanish tour pro signed her scorecard without including the two-stroke penalty and left the scoring area. 

The LPGA provided a statement on the incident to Sports Illustrated via email. 

“Group 14, who started on No. 10 at 8:27 a.m., received a warning on No. 7 after being out of position. The group failed to make up time through the seventh hole, therefore the group was timed starting on No. 8. On the ninth hole, 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.

“Rule 3.3b(3) states that if a returned score is lower than the actual score, the player is disqualified from the competition. The exception to this Rule does not apply because Ciganda was aware of the penalty strokes received and upheld before signing her scorecard and leaving the recording area,” the statement read. 

Ciganda was playing with Anna Nordqvist and Celine Herbin when she was penalized. Players battled tougher conditions at Evian Resort Golf Club on Friday, with the winds picking up and tricky pin positions. 

The 33-year-old has been penalized for slow play before. At the 2021 Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play she lost a match due to a bad time, receiving a slow play penalty on the final hole of the day.