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Friday, July 7, 2000

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Associated Press
Michelle Wie, 10, of Honolulu watches one of her drives
during the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship
at Legacy Golf Links in Aberdeen, N.C. yesterday.
For more on Wie, see Golf Watch.

Wie drops opening match

Ten-year-old Michelle Wie of Honolulu qualified yesterday at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links championship, but then lost in the first round of match play at Aberdeen, N.C..

Wie, the youngest amateur to ever play in a United States Golf Association event, fell 3 and 2 to Cindy Lee of Tempe, Ariz.

"I wasn't able to get my short putts," Wie said. "If I go back to the 10-and-under division, there's only, like, three girls to compete with."

Wie carded 6-over-par 150 during two rounds of qualifying.

Five other Hawaii golfers -- Rachel Kyono (145), Leah Whiting (151), Merynn Ito (152), Summerset Lovett (152) and Kathy Cho (153) -- also qualified.

Four other island golfers -- Xyra Suyetsugu (159), Rose Pagan (168), Mariel Kotake (174) and Kelly Nakashima (175) -- failed to qualify.

Kyono defeated Robyn Rinaldo of Dade City, Fla., 3 and 2, in match play, while Whiting beat Megan Stier of Belle Plaine, Minn., 3 and 2. But Ito fell to Becky Lucidi of Fallbrook, Calif., 2 and 1.

Lovett and Cho were to begin match play today.

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Star-Bulletin wire services