Posted on 10/18/2005 10:51:01 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Never mind what Karl Rove said to "Scooter" Libby that may have been heard by Judith Miller who would do 80 days in jail for something Bob Novak would put in print with impunity. And who spells Flame with a "P," anyway? The name that is important here is none of the above. It is Michelle Wie. Yes, the 16-year-old (barely) golfer whose professional debut was marked, and marred, by one of those lessons in life that must be attended by each and every one of us before this mortal coil is shuffled. But such an early shuffle!
Wie had finished a respectable fourth in a field of the Samsung World Championship led by the indomitable Annika Sorenstam. For this Wie was to have received $53,000 and change and the plaudits of a sports world that had wondered at her abilities for months leading up to her baptism among the ladies who play for pay. But no. Wie had not reckoned on the intervention of one of those people who do not play but who make a living watching others who can, a professional voyeur. One George Bamberger, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, thought he had seen a miscue of Wie's on the day before the tournament ended. Wie was to be undone.
Bamberger, gifted with not only a writing ability but also the global positioning capacity of a satellite, summoned Robert O. Smith, the LPGA Tour rules official, and they trouped back out to the seventh green Sunday evening to reconstruct a drop from an unplayable lie Wie had made on Saturday. After two trips to the green and re-enactments by Wie and her caddy, the lass was disqualified. It was determined that the drop from which she played her ball was closer to the hole than the point from where she had lifted and placed it. A rules violation and disqualification.
The eagle-eyed Bamberger had been some 15 yards away on the fateful day. After Wie had holed out, he stayed behind and paced off the distances, from where the ball first landed and from where the drop was made. He contacted the tour rules guy, Smith, the next day, saying he'd become more uncomfortable the more he thought about it, and rules officials said Wie had in fact dropped the ball about 12 inches nearer the hole, still 45 yards away. Wie says if it was truly closer it may have been three inches nearer.
The lessons learned? Always get a tour official to oversee a drop, and arbitrate an unplayable lie. Your caddy won't do; he is on your side. The gallery is no help, either.
And remember that for each of us, someday, somewhere, there waits a Bamberger.
Reid Collins is a former CBS and CNN news correspondent.
You said "so as not to allow the player to place their ball to give themself a great lie." But 12" is NOT a "great lie" it is EXACTLY in context of the concept of a "DROP!" That was my point.
I agree. I really don't have a problem with the retroactive assessment of the penalty, but if you're going to do that, she should have had the opportunity to correct her scorecard to reflect the penalty.
That said, the moral of the story is to never, ever take an unsupervised drop.
The rules of golf are very clear -- the phrase "no nearer the hole" is used over and over when referring to drops. If your drop winds up closer to the hole than your original shot, you must re-drop.
a. By Whom and How
A ball to be dropped under the Rules must be dropped by the player himself. He must stand erect, hold the ball at shoulder height and arm’s length and drop it. If a ball is dropped by any other person or in any other manner and the error is not corrected as provided in Rule 20-6, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke.
If the ball touches the player, his partner, either of their caddies or their equipment before or after it strikes a part of the course, the ball must be re-dropped, without penalty.
There is no limit to the number of times a ball must be re-dropped in these circumstances.
(Taking action to influence position or movement of ball — see Rule 1-2.)
b. Where to Drop
When a ball is to be dropped as near as possible to a specific spot, it must be dropped not nearer the hole than the specific spot which, if it is not precisely known to the player, must be estimated.
A ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course where the applicable Rule requires it to be dropped.
If it is not so dropped, Rules 20-6 and -7 apply.
c. When to Re-Drop
A dropped ball must be re-dropped without penalty if it:
Note: If a ball when dropped or re-dropped comes to rest and subsequently moves, the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other Rule apply.
Sorry Freepers! I am a golfer and the game is one in which honor, fair play and rules are paramount. Michelle knows the rules and she should have been more careful about her drop. The caddie is also at fault since he is there to assist and advise her. She DID sign an incorrect scorecard and must suffer the sanction as the rules provide.
This summer in a tournament, I mistakenly hit the wrong ball on a hole. When I got to the green, I immediately realized that it was not my ball. I retraced my steps and found the correct ball and played on with it. Not knowing what the sanction was, I played to the end and found an official and discribed what happened and he informed me that it was a two-stroke penalty. Luckily I found the error before I teed off on the next hole or I would have been disqualified. I posted it on my card and turned it in corrected after signing it. By the way, my two-person team won the match and the prize even with the extra two strokes.
You are right.
I've been watching her for about three years and she is a GOOD girl. She has a wonderful personality and a good heart. She will be fine after this.............. and oh my, WHAT A SWING she has!!!
The bottom picture is great -- nice to see her "out on the town" and smiling broadly.
The distance is from the flag is incidental, just so it is no closer to the hole.
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Rule #46...The media are not your friends, they will lie and steal your honor.
Considering her newly signed endorsement contracts, I would say $53,000 is no big deal.
Congratulations (sarcasm off)
I wish I had at least a half of a day to spend out on the fairways and greens. You're a lucky FReeper......... but I once carried Sam Sneads bag here in Pittsburgh at The Field Club.
;-)
4th Place WAS!
You are correct, sir! 4th place at 16 years old - something tells me she'll be dominating in a couple of years.
No wonder the media already hates her.
Michele Wie makes more money in one week than this writer.
I don't think you will be seeing any unpleasantness toward her in the future. I certainly hope not.
888
p.s... cool screen name you got there..... I was going to call myself Justin Case.
;-)
Lesson for day two - forget day one.
LOL!
On the other hand, Bamberger is the loser here. No matter what happens in the future, he will be remembered as the vindictive prick who went out of his way to try and discredit one of golf's young rising stars, for whatever personal reason he might have.
According to the rules, he might be correct, but to what end?
Good advice for politicians and Supreme Court Justices too.
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