Newport, R.I. – During the third round Sunday, Jeong Jang attempted to it out of rough just off the 18^th fairway. Upon further review, it was determined that she hit her ball twice. According to Rule 14 -4, a player cannot hit a ball twice. If it happens, the player must take a one-stroke penalty.

In Jang’s case, because it was not conclusive that she indeed hit the ball twice, her swing sequence was reviewed several times on television replays. The initial ruling by walking official Reed MacKenzie and observer Walter Driver was that they did not feel Jang struck her ball twice on the same swing. Jang and her caddie did not believe she struck the ball twice, either, although her caddie had asked her immediately after her swing whether she had done so.

However, some doubt remained. USGA executive director David Fay conferred with McKenzie by radio about the situation. Further replays were cued up for review by USGA officials on a sophisticated plasma screen provided by NBC. The video was run again and again before it was determined conclusively by USGA Senior Director of Rules and Competitions Mike Davis that Jang had indeed hit her ball twice. Davis then alerted Jang that she would be assessed the penalty of one stroke. Thus, she was given a 7 on the 18^th hole of her third round.

At no point did USGA rules officials believe Jang had tried to mislead anyone. It was obvious that she believed that she had hit the ball once although repeated replays proved that the one-stroke penalty was deserved.

According to Decision 34-3/7, Jang was not disqualified for signing an incorrect score card because she proceeded on the basis of the initial Ruling until subsequent facts proved the original Ruling to be incorrect.