Wie Fails to Sign Scorecard, Is Disqualified From Tournament

After finishing Friday and yesterday in second place at the State Farm Classic, Michelle Wie was one good round away from finally living up to her vast 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 dozen baffled reporters and photographers, explaining why she had been disqualified from the tournament in Springfield, Ill.

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 on Friday.

"I don't know why or how it happened," Wie said.

That left Yani Tseng leading the tournament at 18 under par, followed by Katie Futcher at 16 under and Hee-Won Han and Ji Young Oh another shot back.

Sue Witters, the LPGA's director of tournament competitions, disqualified Wie in an LPGA trailer at the course after asking her what had happened.

· PGA TOUR: Nick Flanagan and Gavin Coles are tied for the lead at 11 under entering the final round of the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

Flanagan fired a third-round 69, rebounding from a bogey at the 17th by knocking a hybrid to within 12 feet on the 557-yard, par-5 finishing hole and making a tap-in birdie to reclaim a share of the lead after Coles shot a 68.

"I thought I hit a perfect putt. I don't know how it missed," Flanagan said of his eagle chance.

Second-round co-leader Richard S. Johnson of Sweden, playing with Flanagan, also just missed an eagle putt at the 18th. But his tap-in birdie allowed him to finish at even-par 70, tied with Jon Mills (64), George McNeill (66) and Ken Duke (68) a stroke back of the leaders.

· 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.

Eaks has a 128 through two rounds, the best two-round score on tour this year.

First-round leader Dana Quiqley is four shots back at 12 under. Bernhard Langer is at 11 under.

Severe weather halted play for nearly three hours, and tournament officials sent all spectators away, although a few came back.

The TPC Twin Cities received 1.25 inches of rain from the thunderstorms, softening greens for those who waited out the delay.