Jerry Rice Hit With a DQ, Vows To End His Pro Tour Quest
Written by Maybe Jerry Rice should have stuck to football.
The Hall of Fame receiver was disqualified from the Nationwide Tour event Friday in Mill Spring, N.C., because his caddie used a range-finding scope to check yardages. The disqualification came a day after Rice shot a 92, the highest round ever since the BMW Charity Pro-Am began in 1992.
"A rookie mistake that I made," Rice said with a smile. "So I got DQed."
Rice announced after a second-round 82 that he's done competing on golf's Triple-A circuit.
"Because I can't commit to golf the way I want to, this is probably my last Nationwide Tour" event, Rice said. "These guys, they're working their butts off, and they deserve to be out here."
The error by his caddie means that Rice won't take part in today's third round, the last before the celebrity event cuts the field for Sunday's finale.
Rice was in violation of Rule 14.3, which prevents competitors from using a yardage measuring device. His caddie checked the yardage scope several times during the round at The Carolina Country Club.
Rice was told in the scorer's tent after improving to an 82 at Bright's Creek Golf Club. The BMW Charity Pro-Am is played over three courses in North and South Carolina. "It's OK," he said. "I had a great time meeting friends and seeing fans."
Rice made his tour debut last month at the Fresh Express Classic in Hayward, going 83-76 to miss the cut. Rice had hoped to make major strides at the BMW.
[Via mercurynews.com]
