▲ Heo In-hoi examining his putting line.
Professional golfer Heo In-hoi has filed a civil lawsuit against the Korea Golf Association (KGA) seeking a confirmation of his ranking and other related matters following a score adjustment controversy at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open.
Yulchon, the law firm representing Heo, stated on July 16, "This dispute arose when the tournament committee changed its official ruling after the competition had already proceeded and the scores were finalized." The firm added, "Heo followed all instructions from the referees and the tournament committee during the match and completed his round relying on the officially confirmed ruling and score."
The statement continued, "Heo took into account that the Korea Golf Association officially acknowledged procedural issues in its tournament operations. However, he concluded that whether the final ruling complies with the Rules of Golf and whether a finalized decision can be retroactively changed are matters that require legal judgment, making this lawsuit unavoidable."
The firm further added, "This lawsuit is not intended to criticize any specific individual or organization, but to seek a court's judgment on the legality and legitimacy of the application of golf rules and the procedures for finalizing tournament results."
During the third round of the tournament held at Namseoul Country Club (par 71) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on May 2, Heo hit his tee shot into the woods on the right side of the fairway. While it was unclear whether the ball was out of bounds (OB), a tournament official picked up Heo's ball.
A tournament referee made a decision to have Heo continue play with a provisional ball rather than his original ball. The tournament committee did not inform Heo of the ruling until after the fourth round concluded on May 3.
At the time, Heo finished the tournament tied for the lead, but due to the ruling, his score for that hole was changed from a par to a double bogey, preventing him from participating in a playoff.
Heo finished the tournament in a tie for third place rather than a tie for the lead. On May 4, the Korea Golf Association issued a statement admitting to several mistakes: ▲ allowing play to continue with a provisional ball and recording the score as a par instead of a double bogey, ▲ failing to inform the player of the OB ruling during the final fourth round, and ▲ delaying the notification and announcement of the decision.
An official from the Korea Golf Association stated regarding the lawsuit, "It is difficult to provide a position as we have not yet received the relevant documents."
(Photo: Courtesy of KPGA, Yonhap News)
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