LOS ANGELES — Lottie Woad ran into trouble in a bunker at Riviera Country Club, and she was assessed a two-stroke penalty in Saturday’s third round of the U.S. Women’s Open.
Woad, the sixth-ranked player in the world, was in a greenside bunker at the ninth hole and had a plugged ball in the face of the bunker. As she climbed the face, sand must have dislodged, causing her to build a stance, so she was assessed a two-stroke penalty under Rule 8.1a.
Woad did not call the penalty on herself, according to the USGA. Woad didn’t get the ball out of the bunker on the first try, but did on her second attempt. The result was a triple-bogey 7 and she finished her round with a three-over 74.
Lottie Woad was assessed a two-stroke penalty for improving her stance in the bunker. Just announced by @uswomensopen. pic.twitter.com/nUCmAImfPI
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) June 6, 2026
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com