Wie forgets to sign card

After finishing Friday and Saturday in second place at the LPGA’s State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill., Michelle Wie was one good round away from living up to her deep potential.

Then, minutes after tapping in her last putt of the third round, Wie sat red-eyed at a folding table in front of a couple of dozen baffled reporters and photographers, explaining why she’d been disqualified from the tourney.

The 18-year-old, playing her best golf of the year, broke one of the game’s most basic rules: She failed to sign her scorecard before leaving the scoring area.

“I don’t know why or how it happened,” Wie said.

That left Yani Tseng leading the tournament at 18 under par.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., fired a 69 and is tied for 31st at 3-under 208. Rathdrum’s Tracy Hanson is at 212 after a 74.

Sue Witters, the LPGA’s director of tournament competitions, disqualified Wie after asking her what had happened.“I felt like I was telling somebody that there was no Santa Claus,” she said.

PGA

Second-round leader Nick Flanagan birdied his final hole to join fellow Australian Gavin Coles in first place after three rounds at the US Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

Flanagan, who shared the second-round lead with Richard S. Johnson, shot a 1-under 69 and Coles a 68 to get to 11 under at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

Champions Tour

R.W. Eaks shot a 9-under 63 for a three-stroke lead over Gene Jones and Loren Roberts after the second round of the 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn.

U.S. Publinx

Jack Newman, a junior at Michigan State, beat John Chin 5 and 3 in the 36-hole final of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Murphy Creek Golf Course in Aurora, Colo.