Double DQ

Jessica Porvasnik and Soo Bin Joo were disqualified from the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Open on the Epson Tour after the final round on Sunday for signing incorrect scorecards. The hole-by-hole scores were correct on both cards, and the 18-hole totals for both players were also accurate. However, Porvasnik had accidentally kept Bin Joo’s score on the official card with Porvasnik’s name on it. Bin Joo had made the same mistake. 

Porvasnik and Bin Joo began the final round at 3 under par. They were nine shots back of the leaders and looking to move up, especially with $400,000, the biggest purse in Epson Tour history, on the line. 

Porvasnik said she was the first to arrive at the tent near the 1st tee and, per usual, saw the scorecards lying on the table. The cards also had a statistics card attached. (The players keep their own stats during the round and turn them in.) The printed cards show the player's name in the top left corner. "For some reason, I accidentally grabbed my own instead of my playing partner’s," Porvasnik told me. When Bin Joo entered the tent, she grabbed the other card. 

The pair played the round without noticing the mistake and wrote down their playing competitors' scores on the official card with their own name on it. Bin Joo shot 68, which would have moved her up to T-13. Porvasnik shot 75, which would have put her at T-51. 

In scoring, the players read off their hole-by-hole scores to one another, each confirming the accuracy. (The walking scorer confirmed the scores turned in were accurate.) The cards were then signed and handed to the volunteer who was entering scores. "I have never looked at the name portion, but I will going forward," Porvasnik said. "I feel terrible for her (Bin Joo). I made the mistake." 

The rule states that players have until they leave the scoring area to correct any mistakes. Both left, assuming everything was correct. 

Porvasnik later checked the online scoring and noticed that it showed her for a 68. If there is a mistake, the live scoring is usually corrected immediately. When it wasn't, Porvasnik immediately called a rules official, who said she would be contacted about the situation. 

Rick Wilson, an Epson Tour rules official, played a critical role in the incident. He promptly noticed the error and delivered the disqualification news to Porvasnik. 

"I've never seen it before," Wilson said. Asked if the rules allowed for the tournament committee to overturn the ruling, he said there wasn't. "No one feels good about this,” Wilson said, “but the rules of golf are clear in this situation." 

The disqualification had a significant impact, not only on the players' earnings but also on the points list, which determines the 15 players who will earn LPGA Tour status. Following the disqualifications, Bin Joo dropped six spots to 43rd, while Porvasnik fell three spots to 15th.

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