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Scorecard Gaffe Costly To Wie

The Associated Press

Published: July 20, 2008

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - After finishing Friday and Saturday in second place at the State Farm Classic, Michelle Wie was one good round away from finally living up to her deep potential.

Then, minutes after tapping in her last putt of the third round, Wie sat red-eyed at a folding table in front of a couple dozen baffled reporters and photographers, explaining why she'd been disqualified from the tournament.

The 18-year-old, playing her best golf of the year, broke one of the game's most basic rules: She failed to sign her scorecard before leaving the scoring area.

"I don't know why or how it happened," Wie said.

Wie took no questions before leaving the clubhouse at Panther Creek Country Club. She climbed into an SUV with her parents and drove away.

That left Yani Tseng leading the tournament at 18 under, followed by Katie Futcher at 16 under and Hee-Won Han and Ji Young Oh another shot back.

Sue Witters, the LPGA's director of tournament competitions, disqualified Wie in a small office in an LPGA trailer at the course after asking her what had happened.

"She was like a little kid after you tell them there's no Santa Claus," Witters said.

And with that, Wie was gone from a tournament where either the $255,000 winner's purse or the $155,252 second prize would have put her comfortably within the top 80 money winners for the year - and virtually guaranteed her a place on the LPGA Tour next year.

PGA TOUR: At Milwaukee, second-round leader Nick Flanagan birdied the final hole to join fellow Australian Gavin Coles in first place after three rounds at the U.S. Bank Championship.

Flanagan shot a 1-under 69 and Coles a 68 to get to 11 under at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: At Blaine, Minn., R.W. Eaks shot an 9-under 63 for a 128 and a three-stroke lead against Gene Jones and Loren Roberts after the second round of the 3M Championship.

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