[ GOLF ]
Pressel ousts
Wie and KonoThere are no Hawaii golfers
left at the U.S. Girls' Juniors
after the third round
FAIRFIELD, Conn. || At least Michelle Wie lost to an older player.
Morgan Pressel, at 14 a year older than golf's latest sensation, beat Wie 3 and 2 yesterday in the third round of the U.S. Girls' Junior.
Pressel, of Boca Raton, Fla., won the first hole with a par and never trailed in advancing to today's quarterfinals at Brooklawn Country Club.
Wie, a Punahou ninth-grader-to-be, won the U.S. Women's Public Links last month and was trying to become the first player to win both tournaments.
It was the second match of the day for both. In the second round, Wie beat Blair Lamb, of Flat Rock, N.C., 5 and 4, while Pressel eliminated Stephanie Kono, another Punahou student, 4 and 2.
Hilo's Amanda Wilson also lost in the morning round. Amie Cochran of Torrance, Calif., defeated Wilson 4 and 3.
Wie didn't record her first birdie of the third-round match until No. 13 and by then, she was down four holes.
Wie was visibly upset after the loss. She walked through the clubhouse without comment and disappeared in a car with her parents and coach less than five minutes after the match ended.
"I feel disappointed," Wie said through a USGA official. "Everything can be viewed in a positive way."
She was at a loss to explain which part of her game let her down.
"I would say all of it," Wie said.
Pressel, who two years ago became the youngest player ever to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open, was consistent throughout the match.
"I missed one fairway all day," she said.
Pressel briefly held the lead during the first round at this year's U.S. Open and, along with Wie, made the cut.
Wie was stoic throughout the match with Pressel until the 14th, where she pumped her fist after making a 4-footer for her second straight birdie.
"I was excited," Wie said in the statement. "I thought I had a chance (to take the lead)."
Pressel won the 15th hole with a par to reclaim her three-hole lead. She then closed out the match with another par before the estimated crowd of 500 that ringed the 16th green.
"I love playing in front of big crowds," Pressel said. "I was excited to play Michelle. I wanted to see how I'd fare. A lot of junior players want to play her because she doesn't play very many junior tournaments."
The quarterfinals won't be without a 13-year-old, despite Wie's departure.
Mina Harigae, 13, of Monterey Calif., beat Brittany Lang, of McKinney, Texas, on the 19th hole. Harigae will play Pressel today.
Defending champion In-Bee Park, of Eustis, Fla., advanced to the quarterfinals with a 5-and-4 victory over Whitney Wade, of Glasgow, Ky.
The quarterfinals and semifinals are today, with the 18-hole final tomorrow.
The tournament is for amateurs 18 and younger.
