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I was watching the ladies this week and saw the incident with the "possible double hit" and the outcome has made me wonder.

I saw it as a Double Hit because the ball definitely changed direction from a deflection, but what deflected it, the clubhead or the lump of grass?

The Officials made the decision that "BECAUSE THE PLAYER SAID SHE DID NOT HIT IT TWICE" no penalty would be incurred.

Totally agree with you. The video evidence was imo sufficient to determine whether it was a double hit, irrespective of what the player said.

The iinstances of accidental double hits in the ladies tour does seem to be increasing on tour, never mind in yer local course comp'.

Whilst sitting on the 18th the last couple of days myself & the good lady were watching a competition come in, as we sat on the patio of the clubhouse bar. There were at least two instances where one of the ladies hit shot out of a bunker & the ball was clearly seen to come back into contact with the club on the followthrough. Accidental maybe, but its still an infringement. There was also one shot we saw over water where the person seemed to do much the same on their shot into the green. I also realised (reminded myself) yesterday that wearing a bright orange golf shirt is perhaps not the best idea whilst sat at a patio bar table positioned behind the 18th green, as I suddenly became a ball magnet....lol

Only she really knows if she hit it twice. Johnny Miller made a good argument for us viewers to assume she did hit twice but it may very well be that it was a chunk of grass that steared the ball off course. I will always give the golfer the benefit of the doubt b/c honesty is the very hallmark of this game. Unless one can prove conclusively that she did hit it twice, I will stand behind what she said.

I also think it could have been a chunk of grass that changed the course of the ball. I wonder why the commentator didn't even mention this as a possibility.

Was the chunk of grass on her club, or flying separately through the air? I don't think a chunk of grass could cause that much of a deflection. But, it is possible that there was enough grash on her club that she didn't feel the ball when it hit the second time.

it certainly looked like a double hit, as she followed through it was certain to me that the club re hit the ball. whether she knew it or not i dont know though.

I thought they gave her the penalty for the double hit during the fourth round. They originally ruled no penatly, but they reviewed it again later and decided to assess the penalty.

It was Jeong Jang and I thought that the evidence was pretty conclusive that she hit it twice. The ball changed directions quite dramatically about shoulder high. While not wanting to hang her out to dry for a single incident, I always know when I've made a double hit and how someone could look at the replay and conclude otherwise, is questionable in my mind.

she did get the penalty.

i was hoping they would dq her--

I watched that replay over and over again as I had taped the days play because I had to work. I can't see how what they showed was conclusive proof that there had been a double hit on the ball. It might have been but it might not have been as well. I think if she said she did not hit it twice she is A...probably correct or B...Lying...If she was lying then her Karma will take care of the rest...If she was correct she should NOT have been penalized. But only she and the golfing gods know for sure. I do know that you can't help but feel it when there is double contact. I've had it happen myself and called a penalty...No one knew it but me, but I felt it and that was enough.

Rules/ettiquette question...

She was swinging through grass so she couldn't be 100% sure if it was a double hit or not, but probably didn't think it was. The flip side is the ball was traveling through grass so a change of direction isn't conclusive either, even though a double hit is the most likely explanation. In that situation, should the player take the penalty? Should they leave it up to the officials?

For some reason, leaguegolf isn't here, although I must give him credit for the idea as he mentioned it to me last night...but she was hitting from what looked like a fairly steep upslope, with the high grass. Is it possible that what we saw was a deflection off the bank? The ball definitely changed directions but after thinking about it more (I was squarely in the 'she double hit it' camp last night), I'd like to give JJ the benefit of the doubt.

usga reviewed more video tape after the round, and gave her the penalty durign the 4th round. She was not dq'd for signing the wrong score card because she had said before that she did not double hit. So they know she double hit it now, but didn't have the backbone to dq her over it and just gave the penalty later.