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 school student 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.

But she was not awarded a trophy or a spot in the state championships because of a Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rule that stipulates girls can play as part of a team but not win as individuals.

“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.”

The rule was criticised by golf experts and volunteers at the tournament. One volunteer official told the Telegram & Gazette it was a “real injustice”, while a writer for the Professional Golf Academy of America said “it stinks”.

“It’s 2017. This rule sounds like it was created in 1917,” wrote TJ Auclair.

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

Reuters contributed to this report