German golfer Marcel Siem has opened up about the unusual rules mistake that led to his disqualification from the opening round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
The 39-year-old believed he had signed for a 78 on Thursday at the DP World Tour’s flagship event, but a costly misunderstanding on the 18th hole forced him out of the tournament.
Speaking to his Instagram followers later that evening, Siem insisted he had done nothing dishonest:
“I just wanted to give you a quick insight into what happened today. I didn’t cheat. I would never do that. Unfortunately, I got disqualified.”
According to Siem, his drive at the 18th hole veered right. Thinking his ball might be out of bounds, he hit a provisional shot without realising the area to the right was a water hazard. When a spectator located his original ball under a branch, Siem declared it unplayable, picked it up and continued playing with his provisional ball — not realising that, under the rules, he should have returned to the tee to play his third shot.
He finished the hole believing he had made bogey, but in the scoring area he began to question his score.
“I said to the referee: ‘I think I made a mistake here, right? I was supposed to go back to the 18th tee box to play my third shot because it’s a water hazard. If I declared it unplayable, I can’t just keep playing my provisional ball.’”
His suspicion was confirmed, and he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
The disqualification capped off a difficult fortnight for the German, who also withdrew from the Irish Open during the first round the previous week. Despite the setback, Siem remained upbeat.
“Yeah, it is what it is, guys,” he told fans. “Thank you for your support. I’m resting up now and will give my best in France to get back on track.”
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