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Wednesday, 19 October 2005 |
Michelle Wie disqualified at Samsung World Championship  After
all hopes were set on Michelle Wie's professional debut being a total
success she was disqualified after taking a bad drop as Annika
Sorenstam won the Samsung World Championship.
Michelle Wie had
finished fourth on eight under after a 74 but was disqualified for
dropping closer to the hole and then not declaring it in round three.
World number one Annika Sorenstam fired a final-round 69 to reach 18 under and eclipse a 20-strong elite field.
Star rookie Paula Creamer, 19, was second, one ahead of Gloria Park.
Michelle
Wie's finishing position would have yielded a first paycheque of
$53,126 (£29,514) but after Sunday's final round LPGA Tour officials,
alerted by a spectator, took her out to the seventh hole to discuss
Saturday's drop.
Michelle Wie had hit a five-wood into an
unplayable lie beneath a Gold Lantana bush and dropped away from the
bush for a one-stroke penalty, then chipped to 15 feet and made the
par.
However, the games rules officials studied a videotape of the incident afterwards and disqualified her.
"It was 12 to 15 inches closer to the hole," official Robert Smith stated.
"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."
A very emotional Michelle
Wie, who played 24 LPGA events before turning pro, said: "They said it
was three inches ahead but it looked fine to me.
"I am really sad but rules are rules and I respect them.
"I've been through so many unplayables, I know what to do.
"But
I learned a great lesson. From now on, I'll call a rules official no
matter where it is, whether its three inches or 100 yards.
"Greg
(Johnston, Michelle Wie's caddy) and I were talking when I took the
drop and he said 'make sure you don't drop nearer', but I thought it
looked fine to me. I'm very disappointed that my first event finished
this way."
Michelle Wie now returns to Punahou School in
Honolulu and next plays in the Casio World Open in Japan in the last
week of November, and this will mark her sixth time competing against
the men.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 21 October 2005 )
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