ESPN’s Wilbon on LPGA’s Lexi Thompson Debacle: ‘Garbage,’ ‘Golf Needs to Be Better Than This’

ESPN “Pardon the Interruption” co-host Michael Wilbon did not mince words Monday while reacting to the LPGA’s Lexi Thompson being penalized Sunday after a fan watching the ANA Inspiration on television emailed about an infraction she made the day before.

Thompson held a three-stroke lead until she was penalized four strokes for her error. She later lost out on the major championship in a sudden death playoff with So Yeon Ryu.

Wilbon called it “garbage” and “loathsome” that Thompson was penalized a day later for something a fan noticed on television.

“This is loathsome,” Wilbon stated. “Golf needs to be better than this. This is not Division IV sports somewhere where people are struggling to make ends meet. This is the LPGA. In the case of the PGA, the PGA where the same thing could have happened. Pay somebody to be at every hole if you have to. Don’t be some cheap, bogus, little side sport that lets some dope call in from TV. You or I could have done that. This is junk, this is garbage.”

“This is garbage, this is loathsome on the part of professional golf, either tour,” he later added.

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