Three Questions on Michelle Wie’s Disqualification

Golf is a game in which the player is the referee. Although the game committee members make the final decision, it is impossible for them to follow all the players on such a large golf course and watch their every play. Hence, if there is no trust, golf cannot exist as a sport, and that is why harsh penalties are given to those who violate the rules.

Deliberate Wrong Scorecard?-

Michelle Wie’s action at the end of her third round was willful negligence. She admitted that her drop spot was wrong. However, she can’t excuse herself from signing and submitting a scorecard in which five, not seven shots, were recorded for the seventh hole (par 5).

The Role of Grace Park as Marker?-

The golf score is written by a marker, the player who plays with you and records your score. During the third round, Grace Park, Michelle Wie’s marker, not knowing whether the drop spot was wrong, recorded Wie’s seventh hole score as five strokes. On the other hand, the marker does not have the obligation to advise the play of the other golfer.

Why Admit a Serious Rule Infraction?-

If Michelle Wie claimed that she didn’t know that she had violated the drop spot, she could still finish in fourth. However, with her every single move caught on camera, she could only admit to playing from the wrong spot, if objective evidence was to be brought up.