Golfer suspended for playing wrong ball to rejoin KLPGA this year

The KLPGA has cut short Yoon Ina's suspension for playing the wrong ball at the 2022 Korea Women's Open, permitting the temporarily-barred golfer to return to the field for the upcoming 2024 season.

Yoon Ina [YONHAP]

The KLPGA has cut short Yoon Ina's suspension for playing the wrong ball at the 2022 Korea Women's Open, permitting the temporarily-barred golfer to return to the field for the upcoming 2024 season.

Yoon, 20, received a three-year suspension from the Korea Golf Association (KGA) and KLPGA in 2022 for playing the wrong golf ball during the first round of the DB Group Korea Women’s Open Golf Championship on June 16, 2022. The KLPGA announced Monday that it would cut short the punishment.

Playing the wrong ball means that after her tee shot, Yoon continued to play the hole with another ball — presumably one that fell in a more advantageous position than her own — to finish the hole.

The KGA reduced her suspension to one and a half years in September last year, but the KLPGA at the time upheld the initial punishment, making her ineligible to participate in KLPGA events until halfway through the 2025 season.

The KLPGA has now reversed that decision, reducing the suspension to 18 months. That means Yoon can compete on the KLPGA this year, starting with the very first 2024 KLPGA tournament set to tee off in April.

The KLPGA’s decision comes after a board of directors vote Monday.

According to the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, the KLPGA board reached the decision after considering the positions of all Tour members, fans and sponsors as well as the KGA’s suspension reduction last year.

“I will not repeat the same mistake again,” Yoon was quoted as saying by the JoongAng Ilbo on Tuesday. “I will ask for understanding from my fellow golfers and fans and play fairly.”

The 2024 KLPGA season is set to tee off in April, with the exact schedule yet to be announced.

Yoon made her KLPGA debut in 2022 and has one title to her name, having won the Ever Collagen Queen’s Crown in 2022.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]