Wie rocked by late disqualification

A couple of hours after finishing fourth in her first professional tournament, 16-year-old Michelle Wie was sensationally disqualified from the Samsung World Championship at Bighorn in Palm Desert, California.

It was 40 minutes before play finished that a spectator told LPGA rules official Robert Smith that he thought Wie had dropped the ball nearer the hole when she had taken relief from an unplayable lie in a bush on the seventh hole of her third-round 71 on Saturday.

Minutes after she had completed her final-round 74, Smith took Wie and her caddie, Greg Johnston, back to the spot at the 470-yard hole and deemed that she had indeed taken an incorrect drop.

“It was 12 to 15 inches closer to the hole,” he explained. “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.”

Wie was clearly upset at the situation, but bravely faced the press.

“They said it was three inches ahead but it looked fine to me,” she said, battling back tears. “I am really sad but rules are rules and I respect them.

“Greg and I were talking when I took the drop and he said ’make sure you don’t drop nearer the closer’, but I thought it looked fine to me. I’m very disappointed that my first (professional) event finished this way.

“It was a day later and really it was all guess work (trying to remember where the ball was dropped).”

However, Smith said that the ball had been dropped on a piece of grass and it would have needed to be in the desert sand not to be closer to the hole.

Wie had finished on eight under par – 10 shots behind winner Annika Sorenstam - and forfeited £30,000 (€44,000).

Defending champion Sorenstam claimed a record fifth win in the weather-hit event.

With a final-round 69, that icluded three delays for lightning, the world number one finished on 18 under par 270 and won by eight shots from 19-year-old American Paula Creamer, who had a 70.

It was the first time that Sorenstam had won the same tournament five times - equalling an LPGA record set by Mickey Wright in the Sea Island Open between 1957 and 1963.

The £120,000 (€175,000) first prize saw her clinch both her eighth LPGA money list title with £1.25m (€1.8m) and a record eighth Player of the Year title.

“I’m very proud of the way I played and I played four solid rounds of golf,” said Sorenstam.

The Swede refused to concede that Wie cornering the media attention had been an extra motivation, but she did add: “This was a week with a little bit extra on the line.

“There was the five wins, the Player of the Year title and so on.

“And there is no doubt that the young players will take over eventually, but I’m not going to give it away (the world No 1 ranking) easily.”

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, fourth overnight, dropped to joint eighth after a disappointing 75 for six under.