Three DQ'd down under

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

GOLD COAST, Australia -- Three players were disqualified from the Australian Ladies Masters on Friday for unknowingly breaching rules on preferred lies.

A rules official from the co-sanctioning Ladies European Tour said Australians Corie Hou and Inhong Lim and Australian-based South Korean amateur Annie Choi were disqualified after playing one hole of their second round.

The players, who were in the same group, said they had misinterpreted a local ruling during their first round which allowed preferred lies on fairways but not in the rough.

Choi had an opening-round 2-under-par 70, five strokes behind first-round leader Lee Bo-mee. Lim shot 80 and Hou 81.

The 16-year-old Choi said they had misunderstood what the starter said before they teed off about the local rule allowing preferred lies on the fairways because of wet conditions on the Royal Pines course.

"I'm devastated but I accept it," said Choi, who said the trio had been told the preferred lies were in place "everywhere" and took that to include rough.

The trio had played only one hole of their second round when the rule breach was reported to Ladies European Tour operations director Cyprien Comoy.

All three admitted to taking preferred lies off the fairways in the first round and were disqualified because it meant they'd signed incorrect scorecards.

"It was a surprise to them, certainly," said Comoy. "The girls accepted the decision. It is not a pleasant thing but a harsh lesson learned.

"We accept it was a genuine mistake. When they've missed the fairway and in the rough, they've thought they could pick up their balls, clean them and take a preferred lie. It's a player's responsibility to read the rule sheet and know the rules."