Chance at Major Victory Not in the Cards for Roe

How to cost yourself a chance to win the British Open, in one painful step, by Mark Roe. It’s simple. You shoot 67, sign the wrong scorecard and get disqualified.

Roe, 40, from England, would have been only two shots out of the 54-hole lead, but botched the rule when neither he nor playing partner Jesper Parnevik exchanged scorecards to begin Saturday’s third round, failed to notice it and ultimately signed their own scorecards.

That’s an automatic disqualification for both.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever done it,” Roe said. “It slipped by both of us. It’s really unexplainable.”

Parnevik, who shot an 81, was nonetheless more upset than Roe.

He said the error could have been corrected if the scoring officials had detected the problem before they left the scoring area. Instead, after more than 10 minutes of checking, they were cleared to go, Parnevik said.

“Stupid,” he said. “It’s the dumbest thing ever. Everybody in the world knows what me and Roey shot today. It’s just one of those old things. ...

“It’s a dumb mistake, but he shouldn’t be out of the tournament.”

The British Open, unlike the PGA Tour events, calls for players to exchange scorecards with each other before the round. In PGA Tour events, the cards are already exchanged before they reach the first tee.

“Of course, it’s our mistake,” Parnevik said. “But I cannot believe the R&A; officials didn’t catch it.”

Peter Dawson, secretary of the R&A;, called the mistake “tragic” for Roe.

Said Dawson: “We take some blame, but no responsibility.”

Both Parnevik and Roe are not exactly newcomers to the British Open and its rules. Parnevik has played 11 British Opens and 42 rounds. Roe has played 12 British Opens and 46 rounds.

Parnevik said the punishment does not fit the crime.

“You can ‘foot’ it out of the rough and get a one-shot penalty, but you sign the wrong scorecard and get disqualified,” he said. “Stupid.”

If the mistake had been caught before Roe and Parnevik had left the scoring tent, they would have been permitted to erase the scores, mark correct ones on the proper card, sign them and then walk out unscathed.

Four groups after Roe and Parnevik were disqualified, scorers discovered that Stuart Appleby and Phillip Price had made the same error as Roe and Parnevik and they were stopped just before they left the scorer’s area. They corrected the scorecards and signed them.

Price, who shot 69, is three shots out of the lead. He was about two feet from being disqualified.