Michelle Wie has had to pull out of her first tournament in four months after aggravating a wrist injury.
The 17-year-old was 14-over in her opening round of the LPGA Ginn Tribute when she withdrew at the 17th hole.
She had been bothered by the wrist problem but also struggled for form in South Carolina.
If she had shot an 88 - 16 over - as a non-LPGA member she would have had to withdraw and be disqualified for the rest of the season.
"I kind of like tweaked it in the middle of the round a little bit," she said. "So I'm just taking caution measures, and I know what to work on. The only way to go up from here is up.
"I don't think about shooting 88. That's not what I do. I try to play the best golf I can and unfortunately I was not able to do that because I had issues with my wrist."
Wie's round included two drops at the par-three 14th and a quintuple bogey 10 at the par-five third after her tee shot struck a car and rolled down a drain.
Earlier in the week Wie chided her coach David Leadbetter for suggesting she should not play any more men's events and focus solely on women's tournaments.
"I don't think my coach is the person who could talk about what events I'm going to play in," said Wie.
"He got misquoted. I learn so much from playing with the men. I'm going to do it as long as I enjoy it."
"We all know with her playing in the men's events that she is not going to get anywhere"
World number 10 Retief Goosen, however, said Wie should not receive any more invitations to men's events.
The 17-year-old American has struggled in the men's events she has played and Leadbetter feels she needs to establish herself on the women's tour first.
Wie made the cut in an event in Korea last year but finished near last in tournaments in Switzerland and Pennsylvania in September, and also struggled at the Sony Open this January.
She will be taking on the men again at the John Deere Classic in July.
But South Africa's Goosen said "the players in general feel it is not right" that Wie should play.
"If she qualifies to play in an event then fine, but there are youngsters and good players coming up who could have taken that spot and broken through," said Goosen.
"We all know with her playing in the men's events that she is not going to get anywhere, so I'm not really sure what she is trying to achieve.
"If she thinks it is helping her development then fine, but so far I think it has been damaging to her game."