Marcel Siem Disqualified After Bizarre Rules Mix-Up at BMW PGA Championship

WENTWORTH, England — Veteran golfer Marcel Siem faced disqualification on Thursday during the opening round of the 2025 BMW PGA Championship due to a misunderstanding of the rules, after a day that went from bad to worse.

Siem, a six-time winner on the DP World Tour, teed off at 2:40 a.m. ET, hoping for a successful turnaround in his season. However, he quickly encountered trouble, starting his round with a bogey on the par-4 1st hole and finishing the front nine with a score of 39.

Entering the par-5 18th hole at five over par, Siem lost his drive into the trees on the right. Mistakenly believing there were out-of-bounds markings in the area, he played a provisional shot. Unbeknownst to him, the right side of the hole was actually a water hazard, which changed the rules considerably.

After spectators discovered his initial tee shot, which was not out of bounds but rather in a wooded area or hazard, Siem, feeling fatigued, declared his original ball unplayable and opted to continue with the provisional ball.

As he arrived at the scorer’s tent with a six-over 78, Siem soon realized something was amiss with his score. “I was just about to sign my card,” he stated. “I just realized something is off here. ‘Guys, I don’t think I made a 6, let’s call a referee.’”

Upon consulting with a rules official, Siem discovered he had violated golf’s rules by failing to go back to the tee after finding his original ball. This oversight led to his disqualification.

In an emotional video shared on social media following the incident, Siem strongly denied cheating. “I just wanted to let you know I didn’t cheat,” he expressed. “I would never do that, unfortunately, I got disqualified.” He detailed how fatigue and frustration impacted his decision-making during the round.

Despite the disqualification, Siem remained philosophical about the situation, stating, “It is what it is. Sometimes you can’t explain things in life.” He intends to regroup and prepare for upcoming tournaments.