Officials have disqualified three players at the Australian Ladies Masters golf tournament for breaching rules on preferred lies.

Australians Corie Hou and Inhong Lim and Queensland-based Korean amateur Annie Choi were disqualified after playing one hole of their second round on Friday morning for taking preferred lies in the rough during Thursday’s first round.

All three, who were in the same group, admitted they’d misinterpreted the local ruling which allowed preferred lies on the short grass because of the wet conditions.

A rules official from the co-sanctioning Ladies European Tour said he accepted the players made a genuine mistake.