Ana Pelaez Trivino was positioned to make her first major cut but was disqualified following her second round at the AIG Women’s Open.
Pelaez Trivino’s caddie, Miguel Evangelio Gomez-Escolar, used a distance-measuring device on the 10th and 18th holes on the Old Course at St. Andrews, as first reported by Golfweek. Such devices, though allowed on the LPGA, are prohibited at the championship under a model local rule.
“It’s not anyone’s fault,” Pelaez Trivino said afterward via her Instagram account (the comment was recorded in Spanish and has been translated). “If anything, it’s my responsibility. I was disqualified because [my caddie] was using a laser in a tournament that you were not allowed to. I was trusting my caddie, and I didn’t read the little paper, I mean, which was my responsibility, and he assumed you could use a laser like in every other tournament and didn’t read the little paper either.”
Pelaez Trivino shot 72-74 to sit at 2 over par through 36 holes with the cut line projected at 4 over. She had missed the cut in her previous five majors starts, dating back to her amateur career.
“My caddie is still an incredible caddie and has been doing a great job,” Pelaez Trivino added. “Actually, he helped so much, and if it wasn’t for the laser we would have made the cut with two shots to spare. At the end of the day, he is incredible, and I am very happy. I think we are doing an incredible job and at the end of the day, we did all we could and love is greater. ... Life continues. I will keep living, keep playing, keep training, keep growing, and anyways, this video is more for me showing love toward Miguel, because he is not doing well.”
It’s been a tough rookie season for the 26-year-old LPGA rookie as she now has seven missed cuts and a DQ in 11 starts.