Michelle Wie Disqualified at LPGA State Farm Classic
Then disaster struck. Disaster that Wie brought on herself, once again.
Following completion of the third round on Saturday, Wie was informed that she had failed to sign her scorecard following the second round. No signature on the scorecard equals disqualification. And that's what Wie got.
The AP report notes:
The 18-year-old Wie, who appeared to have been crying, told reporters she made a mistake."I don't know how it happened," she said.
This is the second disqualification for Wie since she turned pro near the end of 2005. The first instance happened in her very first event as a professional, the 2005 Samsung World Championship, and involved an improper drop.
It will be very, very difficult now for Wie to win enough money to secure that 2009 LPGA Tour card without having to go through Q-School. Wie needed roughly $80,000 in her final two sponsor exemptions; now she needs at least that much in her last tournament, the Canadian Women's Open, Aug. 14-17. Wie will likely need a Top 5 finish in Canada to reach her monetary goal.
Comments
How could it take 24 hours for any one to notice this????? Did she not hand in her card?? Wasn’t any one there to verify it was her turning in the card and ask for her signature???
This is an absolute load of crap.
It is absurd that this young woman’s accomplishment can be wiped out because of a failure to align with rigid bureaucratic tit-tat.
If I were her, I’d have broken Sue Witters’ over the head with my gold club. Witters’ “Santa Claus” comments reported in another article can easily be construed as taking pleasure in Michelle’s misfortune.
But in all seriousness and civility, this disqualification must be redacted, for the sake of the integrity of the sport.
To answer Geri’s question, she was chased down by volunteers shortly after leaving the scorer’s tent. She went back in and signed the card, but by that time she had crossed the rope around the tent and that finalized her card. The rule is the same for everyone and she know’s it or should know it. You can’t make an exception for Michelle Wie. The Santa Claus comment by Sue Witter is unprofessional and unforgiveable from someone in her position. Sue Witter needs to be DQ’d as well.
This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I can’t believe she was dq’ed for this.
This is one of the stupidest rule in sport I ever heard. The disqualification after a day after (already play the next round) is even more absurd. I think Wie can sue the LPGA for this, since it’s their mistake not to DQ her before the 3rd round.
Gold is a game where you keep your own score and turn in your own score card. The rules are very clear, and she didn’t do what she was supposed to do. As I understand it, it was not that they waited to tell her until she had finished her third round. She was not disqualified at the moment she turned in an unsigned card… she was disqualified when she tried to continue playing… i.e., started her third round… and they couldn’t interrupt play once she started the third round, so she was informed after she finished the tird round. Golf relies on the honor system, and tunring your own score card is integral to that. Signing your own score card is basic to the honor system. Too bad. If someone wants to be a professional at any sprot, they need to know and abide by the rules.
What a pile of crap. Defending stupid rulings on stupid rules is just doing something because it has always been this way.
In no way does this benefit anyone. I agree… Sue Witters should have to go home too. What an idiot.
From what I read it’s not that she never turned in her card after the match, it’s that she walked under the rope outside the tent before volunteers caught her attention. Then she ran back in and signed the card right away.
There was no intent to do anything wrong, and in no way could this have had any impact on the fairness of the tournament. All it does is remove a top competitor from the competition for no good reason.
Hypothetically, after the NY Giant won the superbowl the NFL commissioner just announced:
“we had reviewed the NFC championship game, you guys had disqualified hence no championship because there was 12 men on the field on the last play.”
Same situation here, even worse for wie, it was after the competition.
no wonder i never watch golf anymore, tiger woods can take as long as ghe wants let groups get more than 2 holes ahead and no problem michelle wie may have broken rule on scorecard but that sue needs to be sued for comments, she probably has never made any kind of a mistake. this sue character needs to be suspended for cruel behavior no more womens golf for me.
michelle gets DQed. i accept. what happens to Sue for lack of professionalism? does she get permanently DQed? how can you girls expect to get any viewing audience at all? I have the answer, send Sue to the caddyshack>
Who is this person, Sue Witter? Why is she commenting Michelle’s misfortune.
It’s too bad that Michelle had to informed at the end of the 3rd round rather than at the start.
I say, if the officials not caught fault and DQ her before Wie play the 3rd round, then play-on. Maybe someone trying hard to get her due to her popularity and participation in PGA tournament.
so, she had already started play the next day and they had someone who obviously did not like her tell on her! What would have happened if she won the tournament and someone found out a yearmlater would she still have to forfiet the crown and give back the money.
This is total nonsense and clear proof that the LPGA is doing everything to ruin Michelle’s career. I have met Michelle in Hawaii and the tour desperately needs her especially now that Annika is retiring.
In the age of TV, this rule is nonsense. It is a rule with no purpose. Scores of each hole are sent in by the volunteers at each hole. Everyone knows what the player scored on a hole.
The application of the rule in this case was totally unfair. Usually there’s a roped off area around the scorers tent which constitutes the official area. There was no rope for this event, hence they are saying that the moment Michelle walked outside the tent she was disqualified. A volunteer quickly came and got her and she returned and signed the card.
What is the purpose of disqualifying Michelle. Jealousy. The LPGA hates that she plays on other tours. They hate that she says she won’t go to Q school since she wants to keep playing elsewhere. This is total BS.
John
what are they thinking about. she should be reinststed immediatly and Sue be fired
if it would have been annika ill bet she would not have been disqualified.
The rule says: “After completion of the round, the competitor should check his score for each hole and settle any doubtful points with the Committee. He must ensure that the marker or markers have signed the score card, sign the score card himself and return it to the Committee as soon as possible.”
Can someone tell me how Michele violated the rule? It seems to me that leaving the tent and returning within a minute of so is certainly “as soon as possible.”
The rule is very vague. I’d be suing the LPGA if I were Michele.
The more I think about this, the insanity of it all becomes evident. Even though this rule exists, (and I’ve already stated how stupid a rule it is), why doesn’t every person in the scorers tent remind the player to sign her scorecard? Why do they allow anyone to exit the tent before signing? This seems like a rule whose only purpose is seen when someone breaks it and then the LPGA can say “Gotcha!”
Given the last post quoting the rule it would seem to me that no rule was broken. Even if she left “the scoring area” she returned immediately so there was no impropriety or intent. Unfortunately while golf is a great game many of its rules are stupid.
Back in the 1990’s I drove 250 miles to see Greg Norman play in the Greater Hartford Open on Saturday, knowing he was leading the tournament. My wife and I arrived at the course and could not find Norman’s name on the leaderboard. When we asked why we were told that he had played a ball the day before sent to him by his ball supply company (Titlest, I think) but not yet officially approved for use on tour. He had been disqualified.
We left the tournament immediately and never went to another PGA event.
Another example of how stupid rules hurt the game and turn off fans.
Where was her caddy during all of this? the caddy should be especially vigilant around wie because of her propensity to make mistakes and because of her immaturity
I think Sue Witters’ comments about Michele were inappropriate and uncalled for. I wouldn’t be surprised if Michele boycotts the LPGA after this. I will not attend or watch another LPGA event as long as Sue Witters is on staff.
All of these SFC officials (SW at the top) should be fired for incompetence. They should have waited until after MW won the tournament after tomorrow’s round to DQ her. That action (inaction?) would have insured SFC & LPGA infamous immortality for years.
Michelle was nailed for a highly questionable infraction.OK she got the shaft.
Sue made a comment that was totaly uncalled for and yet she’ll get a free ride.A little equality might call for her being DQ’ed
It wont happen,yet a boycot of this tournament until she is gone by remaining players would make sense.Other spots have players unions maybe its time for golf
The lpga needs to do the right thing and interpreted the rule to allow Michelle to play the fourth round. That Sue Witters should be canned! Michelle is getting a raw deal. If I was her stick to other tours – the LPGA does not deserve you – closing – I will never watch another LPGA event.
As usual, Michelle Wie doesn’t know what happened – she never seems to know why she shot such a high number – very immature kid, but what do you expect? She’s never had to think for herself. As far as the rule goes, she knew she should sign the card. Even country club “internal” competitions require it. Remember DeVincenzo losing the Masters due to an incorrect card? No matter how silly you think the rules are, they are still the rules and no one should be exempted. I’m wondering how many of the “complainers” above play golf?
Michelle is very talented and also very smart.
She is also a very very good player. It was just a mistake anybody makes. Nobody’s perfect, and the LPGA has to understand, because I know they all make mistakes too like everybody. Michelle must have been embarrased when she talked in front of that audience. She was forced to fo it as a penalty. Not Fair to Michelle or to her family.
You people that think it’s stupid or somehow unfair she was DQ’d don’t know golf. You just jump on a bandwagon like morons. Part of golf includes the rules.
Why not just let her putt from wherever he wants; she only moved her ball 1/10000 th of the length of the hole.
Wie is irratic, at best and will never meet your expectations, once again created by media hype…..to sell tickets…
Wei competed with men and looked like a fool, a blithering fool.
The bet woman golfer in the world could not even make the cut in a men’s tourney. Anna tried and failed….then the tears…..all the men were really laughing inside…it is what it is.
What Bob says. If someone were to read the entire rule, and actually understand the entire rule, they would see it in black and white. Technically she turned in her card without signing it. End of story. Methinks the bulk of these posters are actually Michelle’s mother and or dad and or agent or other members of her posse. I especially like the suggestions that her caddy be fired or Sue be DQed. The whole world is at fault, including those irkesome rules, everybody but Michelle, the clueless wonder.
She has been playing before she was a teenager. She should know all the rules, signing score card is # 1. She knew she was worng and should have reported it to the officals. (Ihope I’ll rember next time?) Lets hope she does. Her father & Mother have caused her more trouble than any one cane imagine.She is not a full time student at Stanford, dance & your owne langange does get you a major degree. Thre courses a quarter doees not constitue a full time student. Maybe I could get a masters in HIP-HOP. She needs to get away from FATHER & maybe MOTHER
Daniel,
You have a lot to learn about Asians. I am the Hawaii/South Pacific Guide here at About.com and I interact a lot with Asian visitors. Dr. Wie is a brilliant man. I have met him. He is a renowned University professor in Hawaii.
That being said, he is very much the Korean parent – very protective and very demanding. Have you ever watched the TV Show LOST? If you do you’ve seen Sun and her Korean father. That’s a very typical relationship between Korean fathers and their daughters.
Look at your own city. I’d bet that the best students are the sons and daughters of Asian immigrant parents – Korean, Vietnamese, Lao etc. The parents are very strict – extremely strict by the lax standards of most US parents. They make their children work at school and at whatever they do. It is part of their culture.
How many Korean or Vietnamese kids do you see as drug dealers, drop outs, murderers? Far fewer than American whites, blacks or Hispanics.
You infer that Michelle is not smart. You are very wrong. She attended the top private school in Hawaii and graduated with very high marks. She is by all standards brilliant. She is also still a kid and will make many of the same mistakes that kids do.
Please do not assume things about Michelle and her parents unless you have met them and spoken to them and know their background.
John
She came back and sign the score sheet, no harm done. They had let she play the next round. Suddenly, after third round they realized that she might won the tournament, DQ for she has cross some arbitrary line the day before. Such BS, I’ll never the LPGA again unless they apologize for what they did to Wie.
this is just another reason I have given up watching the LPGA………..they are bringing it on themselves. Of course maybe they think they are so well liked or so good they don’t need us fans, that adds up to less dollars. Hello, that adds up to less dollars. Keep going LPGA, you will soon be like bowling. Nice sport but no fan base, to speak of. Keep it up and you will be looking for fans in Japan.
Wie should NEVER do anything to promote the LPGA again. They waited till they sold tickets and let everyone think she would be there on the weekend. They wanted the TV viewers Saturday. They had the score posted is there not a rule stating after the score is posted you can’t go back. They didn’t have the white line out this week. GRAY area there. She came right back and signed the card. Some rules are outdated and foolish. The IDIOTS that made these rules are dead and used wooden clubs. It’s time to get the rules updated and REALLY protect the Honest people that play the game. There are a lot of rules that help the CHEATERS. LPGA made a bad call this week and lost a many FANS. They didn’y have the Fans to lose.
Another unfortunate turn of events in the young golfing life of Michelle Wie by being “DQ’ed” for failing to properly sign her score card. And the un-professional comments about what went on in the private meeting with Wie, by Sue Witter is also dissapointing to say the least.
But Sue Witter should not be fired for speaking out on what happened. And for those of you who have stated this silly notion about suing over this issue, just do not understand the game.
Properly signing one’s score card is one of the most basic rules in competitive golf and something that Miss Wie should have been able to do successfuly since she was 10 years old while playing in Junior Golf events. Conversely, not properly signing her score card is like not requiring the kicker in football to actually hit it through the goal posts for an extra point after a touchdown in the NFL. Wake up and grow up. And by the way, those “silly old rules” are what makes golf the greatest game ever played. Everyone must follow them, no matter who you are. Do you honestly think that the LPGA does not want/need Michelle Wie to be playing in every single event, every week and competing for the lead?
The point is, she has been pushed into trying to compete on the mens tour, before even winning a single Womens Professional event, much less 30 or 40. This means that either she is extremely arrogant (I do not believe this to be the case), or she is being pushed into un-reasonable expectations by her parents and handlers?
She needs to grow up and make a “personal” decision to play golf professionally, or become what ever SHE wants to become in life. Does it make everyone wonder why each time she is on the edge of winning her first professional tour event, she does something to sabotage her chances? Forgetting to sign the score card, come on…. I don’t buy it. I think that John above has it right, “she is smart”…..smart like a fox?
This is the kind of thing that would make me feel like golf is an archaic sport with illogical rules. Yes, rules are rules and despite how popular a player is, giving them a break when everyone must adhere to the same rules would be unfair.
But let’s start with the basis of logic here, folks. What is the essence of the signing of a scorecard? Here in the 21st century, we have many witness, such as broadcast TV, is tracking the vents. Take other sports such as football, basketball, tennis, and the many Olympic events. Do these players have to sign a card to acknowledge the score? Absolutely not! That’s what the judges and referees are for. Now, as an example such as tennis, if a player dispute a partilcular call, it is then and there disputed and the chair umpire makes the final call. Other sports allow a for a TV replay to be used as a tool.
But here we are talking about golf, a sport that is much slower in action and easily recorded in terms of actual play such as marking round by round. A rule such as signing after each round only makes sense in that “the right to dispute what is marked” is only good for that round. I wholly support the rule of signing in that timefarme of being in the tent. To sign after the fact should be null and avoid.
However, the rule of disqualification is totally asinine. If I had the power as an INTELLIGENT COMMITTE member, I’d say the rule should only have the penalty of “forefeiting the right to dispute what is marked” if not signed in the proper time frame. Do that NOT make sense, folks?
It’s time golf moves up to the 21st century and acknowledge that some rules are archaic (perhaps almost barbaric) to not accept rules that defy logic.
Sorry for the earlier typos. I can spell but hit send before I hit send.
By the way, as for the delayed reporting of disqualifying, I can easily speculate or spread rumors what may have actually happened.
Suppose the committee knew of the mistake and delayed disqualifying Michelle merely to take advantage of her popularity for TV ratings. After all, she did sign the card unless “someone” knew of the disparity. Suppose another player caught wind of this and then reported it to the committee. They then had to review and acknowledge the fact that Ms Wie was indeed to be disqualified. Could THAT BE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? Now I’m not one to spread rumors. But it would seem LOGICAL that this could be a viable reason to explain the circumstance of the delayed disqualification.
The stupid thing on the whole “integrity” and “honest” of Golf is that it only goes one way. If you had marked a 4 when the score should have been a 3, then 4 is the official score, and you can’t go back and make it right. Despite with sometimes, millions of cameras to keep score. But yet, if you mark a 3 when the proper score should have been 4, then you are DQ. I am completely turn-off with the Golf stupid rules that don’t make sense.
So Felix, your point seems to be that the rules of golf are almost as stupid as Michelle herself. Yes? The world of golf can only be improved if in fact all of the crying weenies about unfair rules actually stop watching golf. Clearly they are not actually playing golf, and have no understanding of the game, so no big loss.
Rules are rules enough said. Do I agree to all of the rules? No but I play by them as well as many others. So until they make rule changes we all must abide by them if we are to play an honest game of golf.
Dean says rules are rules. This is very true but one should actually read the rules before supporting a decision which may have been more political then pre determined by the actual wording of the rule itself. The rule states that a scorecard must be signed and if the player leaves the scoring area without signing the card it is invalid. The rule does not say that disqualification is automatic or even compulsary. A little farther down in the “rules” it states that in fact disqualification is not mandatory and that the rules official should evaluate the situation undr which the infraction occured and can decide to allow the player to continue. Ms. Wie did sign her card after an official whose job it was to review it found that there was no signature. The official went after Ms. Wie and she was “outside ” the scoring area. She signed the card and it was accepted. The rules also state officials should review the cards before acceptance insure that the submitted information complied with thew rules, I.E. that the card was signed. Ms. Wie is not a member of the LPGA and there is a great deal of animosity towards her by both the organization and its members. The disgusting and demeaning statement concerning “santa Claus” by the official who made the decision tells you a lot about her true feelings concerning Ms. Wie. I have no doubt that the Ms. Witters, the offcial who “made” the DQ decision contacted higher ups to get there input. If it had been Ochoa, Annika or a popular player belonging to the LPGA would this disqualification have taken place? I think not. This was an unconscionable and overly political self serving way to hurt Ms Wie.
After reading a number of the comments I find that many contributers are unable to evaluate the situation as it occured. There is a good deal of sexism and personal attacks on Ms. Wie’s character. I believe she acted with grace and that her comments were understanding of the decison made. This is a 18 year old young women who was leading a professional LPGA tournament. Maybe the LPGA doesn’t care if she competes but the only way the sport will grow is if a super star can draw in viewers. This tournament was broadcast on ESPN2, not exactly a big draw network. Just a Tiger Woods invigorated the PGA and creates a much higher TV rating, Ms. Wie can do the same. I normally do not watch LPGA events, except for the “majors’, but I watched Ms. Wie on Saturday and would have watched on Sunday. After the DQ I couldn’t care less. Winning this tournament would have been important for Ms. Wie but it was much more important for women’s golf. This is a women who has come in second on a couple of occassions in majors, she surely has the potential to be the “Tiger” of the LPGA, raise the viewership, get it on major networks and enhance the prize money. This was an amazing opportunity lost to women’s golf as Ms. Wie probably would have earned enough in this tournament to gain her tour cards and play every week. Dumb, Dumb and Dumb!!!! She did not have to be DQed under the circumstances!!
Shelley,see a doctor!
Ron: Read your “highly intelligent” and “all knowing” critiqe of Ms. Wie at comment 27. I’m sure that you believed the opening of my comment concerning sexism and stupidity was about you. It was not, it was about all mental midgets who like to belittle women and have severe mental problems. I’m sure the people in the mental health fascility where you reside find you a joy to be around.
Shelly, shelly, shelly. So anyone that disagrees with your distorted view of the events leading up to Michelle’s DQ is a sexist pig that belittles women and has severe mental problems. The following is from the Ladies Professional Golf Association site (www.lpga.com):
Rule 6-6b (Signing and Returning Score Card) governed the situation: After completion of the round, the competitor should check his score for each hole and settle any doubtful points with the Committee. He must ensure that the marker or markers have signed the score card, sign the score card himself and return it to the Committee as soon as possible.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 6-6b: Disqualification.
The Committee in charge of a competition must decide when a score card is considered returned – Decision 6-6c/1 (When Score Card Considered Returned). The LPGA Hard Card (Local Rules and Conditions of Competition that apply at all LPGA competitions) includes the following: A player is deemed to have returned her score card to the Committee when she leaves the roped area of the scoring tent or leaves the scoring trailer.
Ms. Wie turned in her score card and left the roped scoring area without signing her card. A scoring volunteer noticed that the card was missing a signature and caught up with Ms. Wie who was approximately 40 yards from the tent. The volunteer asked Ms. Wie to then sign the card, which she did.
LPGA Rules of Golf officials were not made aware of the incident until after Ms. Wie had started her third round on Saturday morning. At that time, they gathered the facts of the situation by interviewing the scoring volunteers. Because Ms. Wie’s group was well into their round when the facts of the case were determined, LPGA officials decided to not disrupt them, and the officials waited to speak with Ms. Wie after she finished her round on Saturday. She confirmed the facts of the incident provided by the scoring volunteers.
Exactly what part of these rules do you not understand. It doesn’t say anywhere that the ladie’s should get together over coffee and decide whether the golfer is DQ’d or not.
cereal: You jump to conclusions. I was responding to a very stupid person who, unlike you was not acting in a mature manner. That is why I refenced his prior statement. You too conclude that I am calling all people who may disagree with me sexist or lacking in common decency. My original comments put foward my understanding of the rules and that they are open to taking actions other then a DQ. The rules of the USGA (sorry I do not have the exact number, but it is part of the #33 rule which discusses the subject) states that the rules committee may decide if a DQ should be enforced. This situation is somewhat uniqe in that the card was quickly signed at the behest of of an offical whose job it was to review the card. If the writers of the rule did not want a review and the right to allow a player to not be DQed the addendum would not have been written.
All in all, the rule is the rule. If she overlooked the proper golf etiquette to have it signed and done before moving on, then maybe she needs to learn this hard lesson. It will be a good lesson for her professional career from now on. Michelle: Let’s do it the right way the first time and every time. No one said life is easy, especially on a young and attractive lady like yourself who gets all the attention. Sorry!
It’s the rule. What if she had not signed her card and there was an error on it. Should that be overlooked also? By signing the card, you are professing that the information on the card is correct. If you don’t sign the card and it is not correct, who is responsible? Perhaps the group of idiots who think it’s just a meaningless rule should make a donation to the Michelle Wie school for the oppressed.
Ahh, retribution is sooo sweet! It is one year later and Ms. Wie will once again be playing in the State Farm Classic. Thanks to Ms. Bivens, the LPGA has lost five tournaments to date and will probably lose more in the months to come.
The worst case for Michelle was Bumburger, the Sports Illustrated journalists actually stepped off the distance from her drop area to the flag. Can anyone give me another case where a spectator was allowed to walked on the course and green to measure a distance? He then waited until the next day to report his findings. Can you see this jerk doing that to the Tiger?