More on Wie's '88' at the Ginn Tribute

Beth Ann Baldry at Golfweek writes-

It didn’t go unnoticed that Wie was getting dangerously close to shooting 88, the kiss of death for non-members. If a non-member shoots 88 or higher, she is banned from the tour for the rest of the year. If Wie plays her last two holes 2 over, she’s not playing next week in the McDonald’s LPGA, the Evian Masters, Ricoh British Open, the CN Canadian Women’s Open or the Samsung World Challenge. She would still be eligible for the U.S. Women’s Open because she tied for third in Newport last year.

*****

Wie said she WD’d because of her wrist injury. Immediately after she was carted back to the clubhouse, a bag of ice was put on her left wrist and she went into a private room to talk things over with her parents and agent, Greg Nared, before facing the media.

*****

Sharp said she actually thought Wie would pack it in at the turn after she made a triple-bogey on the par-3 14th.

That hole caused quite a bit of stir after Wie hit her tee shot right of the green and into some trees. Wie, her caddie, David Clark, her parents and several volunteers were searching through the leaves for several minutes looking for her Nike ball. When it was found, Wie declared it unplayable and began mulling over her options.

B.J. Wie mentioned something about going back to the tee.

“It’s three off the tee, isn’t it,” Clark responded in a voice that suggested he didn’t think it was such a good idea.

Shortly thereafter Wie declared that she was heading back to the teeing area. Her next shot promptly hit it a tree on the right side and landed several yards back from where she’d been minutes earlier. She chipped onto the green and two-putted for a 6.

Sharp and Janice Moodie, the other competitor in the threesome, were concerned that B.J. had given advice during the course of the hole. Moodie approached B.J. as Michelle marched back to the tee.

When the hole was completed, B.J. hung back to speak with LPGA rules official Angus MacKenzie to see if there was going to be a penalty assessed.

Because Wie did not ask her father for advice, it was decided there would be no penalty. Players determined that B.J. Wie simply offered up one of the options under the unplayable rule.

MacKenzie went on to say, however, that Moodie and Sharp did the right thing in questioning Wie, because if communication between parent and child were to continue throughout the round and it was deemed that Wie had asked for advice, a two-stroke penalty would have been assessed under Rule 8.

The bottom line here is that B.J. Wie should not have said one word to his daughter. Clark, a former PGA Tour caddie, surely knows the options she faced in her situation and is capable of advising his player.

A player isn't allowed outside advise and both Michelle and BJ both know that. Rules are enforced on the golfers very strictly, anyone remember the Mark Roe incident at the 2003 British Open? Craig Stadler and the towel at the 1987 San Diego Open?

What happened here is this. The LPGA, like the PGA has two sets of rules. One for the stars and one for everyone else. Here are cases in point.

2005- Tiger Woods deliberately damaging a green at the US Open
2006- Annika Sorenstam flaunting the rules requiring participation in a tournament once every four years.

Don't forget Annika breaking the rules at the LPGA Championship last year. It was Karrie Webb who called the superstar out.
2007- Phil Mickelson being allowed to play at the Byron Nelson though he failed to show up for the Pro-Am. Read all of these posts, particularly the Mickelson one to see how the tour gives favors to the stars but not to golfers like Chad Campbell.

We can go back to the 'beer incident' at the 1997 Masters. Ken Green and Arnold Palmer had an non-alcoholic drink on one hole during the round. Did you know Green was fined but Palmer wasn't?(Green's fine was reversed eventually)

Did anything ever come of Sergio Garcia spitting at Doral earlier this year? If it did, the news never came out in the press.

Dave Hill, Jane Blalock, Jonathan Kaye all had run-ins with the pro tours that caused them to be suspended. Hill and Blaylock suing the PGA and LPGA respectively in return. No Hill's suit had nothing to do with his 80 acres of Corn comment.

It's quite clear the tours don't enforce the rules the same way for everyone. What happened Thursday with BJ Wie is another instance. If Michelle shot 88, I'm sure Bivens would have found a way around it. Wie is a future meal ticket for the LPGA if the tour is ever going to be successful.

Linked to- Bullwinkle, Right Wing Nation,