Triumphant Massachusetts teen girl golfer denied trophy - report

BOSTON (Reuters) - A 16-year-old Massachusetts teenager who finished first in a regional tournament this week was denied the trophy and an opportunity to play at the state high school golf championships because she is female, according to a local media report.

High schooler Emily Nash, 16, shot a three-over-par 75 at the Central Massachusetts Division 3 boys' golf tournament on Tuesday, four strokes ahead of the runner up, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported.

Her team did not qualify as a group to compete in the state championships and she will not be allowed to play as an individual under the rules of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

"I was definitely disappointed, but I understand that there are rules in place," Nash told the newspaper. "I don't think people expected for this to happen, so they didn't really know how to react to it. None of us are mad at the MIAA or anything like that, but I was definitely a little bit disappointed."

Nash could not be reached for immediate comment and an MIAA official did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Bernadette Baum)