Wie learns an expensive lesson on pro debut

MICHELLE WIE learned an expensive lesson in her first tournament as a professional but it is one she hopes will not crop up again.

The 16-year-old thought she had banked £30,000 for her first proper pay cheque after finishing fourth in the Samsung World Championship in California.

However, 40 minutes after play finished she was disqualified after it was ruled she had dropped her ball nearer the hole at the seventh in the third round and should have had a two-stroke penalty and carded a 73 rather than the 71 she signed for.

“I learned a great lesson,” said the Hawaiian teenager, who will not miss the money she lost after last week signing £10 million worth of sponsorship deals with Nike and Sony to make her the third highest-paid sportswoman in the world.

The confusion arose when she hit her second shot on the 470-yard par-five into a bush, leaving her with an unplayable lie.

Wie took a penalty drop, chipped to 15 feet and saved par but during the final round it was brought to the attention of LPGA Tour officials by an American journalist and after revisiting the spot and measuring the distance they ruled the ball had been dropped nearer the hole by a matter of inches but still a breach of regulations.

The fuss overshadowed world number one Annika Sorenstam’s seventh win of the season, which secured for her her eighth money list title.