Mel Reid penalised for marking ball off-green at the 2023 KPMG Women's PGA Championship   

Mel Reid, a well-known golfer competing in the 2023 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, encountered difficulties during the tournament's third round. Reid, who was only one shot behind the leader until shooting a couple of bogeys early in the round, suffered a setback. To add to her worries, she encountered an unlucky occurrence on the fifth hole, which resulted in a penalty.

Reid erroneously tagged her ball while off the putting green on the fifth hole at Baltusrol Golf Club's Lower Course. Her second shot had landed four inches from the green's back left side, especially on the collar. Reid proceeded to mark, lift, clean, and replace her ball, unaware that it was not on the putting green. Recognizing the problem, she immediately summoned a referee, who confirmed that her ball was not on the putting green.

The PGA (Professional Golfers' Association) issued a statement confirming Mel Reid's verdict. According to the statement, Rule 9.4b was violated, which specifies that a player incurs a one-stroke penalty if he or she lifts or intentionally touches a ball at rest or causes it to move.

“During play of the 5th hole, Reid’s second shot came to rest near the back left of #5 green approximately four inches from the putting green, on the collar,” the statement said. “Reid did not realize that the ball was not on the putting green and marked, lifted, cleaned and replaced her ball. She then called for a Referee who confirmed that the ball was not on the putting green.”

Mel Reid had her third bogey of the day as a result of the penalty. Her trouble continued on the back nine, resulting in three more bogeys. By the 14th hole, she was six strokes over par for the day, eight shots behind Leona Maguire and Jenny Shin.

Controversy Surrounds Mel Reid's Off-Green Ball Marking Penalty

The decision has prompted some debate among the golfing community. Brittany Lincicome, a two-time major champion who missed the cut in this tournament, vented her displeasure on social media. Lincicome admitted on Twitter that the line separating the fringe and the green on the fifth hole was a "joke" and that she was nervous about marking her ball in that location throughout the first two rounds.

While Mel Reid's chances of winning the championship were dashed by the penalty, the tournament proceeded with other strong players battling for the crown.

Mel Reid's scorecard in KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Mel Reid, the talented golfer from England, had an eventful round during the third day of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Starting the day with scores of 71 and 67 in the previous rounds, Reid faced challenges on the course that resulted in a scorecard showing 77 for the day.

Despite the setbacks during the third round, Reid finished with a total score of 215, which put her at two over par for the round. While her performance in that particular round was challenging, her strong performances in the earlier rounds kept her within striking distance as she headed into the final day of the tournament.