2023 U.S. Women’s Open: Allisen Corpuz keeps calm despite threat of one-shot penalty for slow play

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – The old saying, When you gotta go, you gotta go, was never more appropriate than Sunday at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Allisen Corpuz was leading by one shot on the par-4 11^th hole at Pebble Beach when she and playing competitor, Nasa Hataoka, were put on the clock for being out of position. As it turns out, it wasn’t the best moment for a caddie to have to run to the restroom, but what was Corpuz’s bagman, Jay Monahan, to do?

“I had to go,” he said.

Monahan took care of business and so did Corpuz, despite the situation getting “very stressful” at the 13^th.

Full-field scores from the U.S. Women’s Open

Monahan said Corpuz was between a 5- and 6-iron with her approach shot on the par 4 and was going with the longer club. Then the wind lulled and she backed off. That’s when Monahan said he was approached by an official, who handed Corpuz her first bad time. The official also informed them that one more bad time would result in a one-stroke penalty.

That’s a USGA rule. The LPGA fines players for a second bad time.

“I should have known that rule,” Monahan said. “But I didn’t.”

Here’s the full description of Rule 6-7: 

The player must play “without undue delay and in accordance with pace-of-play guidelines.” A group is out of position when it completes play on a hole later than the maximum allowable time under those guidelines. If a group gets out of position due to a ruling or some other legitimate delay, the group is expected to regain its position within a reasonable time.

A player is permitted a maximum of 40 seconds to play a stroke, with the first player in the grouping allowed an extra 10 seconds. A player is given a warning for their first “bad time.” A second bad time automatically incurs a one-stroke penalty. A third bad time incurs an additional two-stroke penalty, and the penalty for a fourth bad time is disqualification.

Now leading by two, Corpuz managed to make par at No 13.

“I know I’m not a slow player,” she said. “I think in that particular shot I just backed off because the wind died down. Just told myself, yeah, just keep playing. Don’t let your focus get away from that.”

After catching up to the group ahead and getting back into position, Corpuz birdied the 14^th and 15^th holes to take control of the championship. She won by three shots, closing in 3-under 69.