Surprising rules gaffe leads to disqualification at Women’s British Open

There’s an old caddying adage that says there are only three rules to the profession: show up, keep up and shut up.

But for professional loopers at the highest levels of the game, there are, in fact, many other strictures that must be followed, one of which is in effect this week at the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews: Use of distance measuring devices (DMDs) is prohibited.

Miguel Evangelio Gomez-Escolar, who caddies for 26-year-old LPGA rookie Ana Pelaez Trivino, either was unaware of the R&A’s local rule (most LPGA event do permit the devices but the Women’s Open does not) or flat-out forgot it was in play on the Old Course, because in the second round he used a rangefinder on at least two separate occasions, on the 10th and 18th holes, according to a statement by the R&A.

The penalty under Rule 4.3 for one-time DMD usage is two strokes. But for multiple infractions, it’s disqualification.  

The unfortunate episode was all the more unfortunate because Pelaez Trivino — who is the 190th-ranked in the world and hasn’t made a cut at a major this season — shot a stellar 72-74 (two over) in the first two rounds, which had her comfortably within the projected cutline.

Pelaez Trivino’s caddie isn’t the first looper to fell prey to this rule. At the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap was only five holes into her first round when she was disqualified for her caddie’s repeated use of a rangefinder on the greens.

Since 2019, Rule 4.3 actually permits players to use DMDs to measure distance, but committees may adopt a Local Rule that prohibits the devices, which is the case at most majors, including those run by the R&A.

A notable exception are the men’s and women’s PGA Championships, which since 2021 have permitted DMD usage with the aim of speeding up pace of play.