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Wie suffers nightmare debut with disqualification
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-10-17 11:50
PALM DESERT, California, Oct 16 (Reuters) - A few hours after she had
appeared to finish a creditable fourth on her professional debut, 16-year-old
Michelle Wie was sensationally disqualified from the Women's World Championship
on Sunday.
Michelle Wie chips
onto the 18th green during the final round of the Women's World
Championship golf tournament in Palm Desert, California October 16, 2005.
[Reuters] | Initially signing for a final round
two-over 74 that left her ten shots behind winner Annika Sorenstam, Hawaiian Wie
will forfeit her first earnings of $53,126 after falling foul of a drop
violation in her third round on Saturday.
During Sunday's final round, a spectator told LPGA rules official Robert
Smith that he thought Wie had dropped the ball nearer the hole when she had
taken relief from an unplayable lie in a bush on the seventh hole a day earlier.
Minutes after she had completed her final round, Smith took Wie and her
caddie Greg Johnston back to the spot at the 470-yard hole and deemed that she
had indeed taken an incorrect drop.
"It was a little closer to the hole," he explained. "Because of that, she
broke Rule 20-7 and the penalty is two shots.
"But because she had not declared the penalty before she signed the
scorecard, then I'm sad to say that it is a disqualification.
"I did look at the incident on videotape, but it was inconclusive. It is just
a pity that the spectator didn't report it yesterday and we could have sorted it
out before she signed the card."
Wie was clearly upset at the situation, but put on a brave face when she
addressed reporters.
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