[ WOMEN'S GOLF ]
Martinez
stops WieShaky putting sends
the Honolulu teen to
a loss in match play
GLADWYNE, Pennsylvania >> Teen sensation Michelle Wie was beaten 1-up by Maru Martinez yesterday in the first round of match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur.
The 13-year-old from Honolulu won the U.S. Women's Public Links in June. Two weeks ago, she was eliminated in the third round of the U.S. Girls' Junior.
Shayna Miyajima of Wailuku also lost in the first round, falling to Charlotte Mayorkas 5 and 4.
After defeating Wie, Martinez was eliminated in the second round, falling 4 and 3 to Kwan-Chih Lu, who will face defending champion Becky Lucidi in the third round today. Lucidi beat Ashley Rollins 5 and 3 in the first round and Avery Kiser 4 and 2 in the second.
Martinez said she experienced a letdown after beating Wie.
"It's tough," Martinez said. "I made a big, big effort this morning. Then, I had 15 minutes to rest. It wasn't the same."
Wie started well this week, finishing second in stroke play by two shots to medalist Aree Song. But the player known for 300-yard drives and big galleries couldn't get past Martinez, a semifinalist in this event last year who survived a playoff Wednesday just to reach the match-play field of 64.
Martinez beat Wie despite being penalized a hole for accepting a ride in a golf cart.
"That's experience," said Wie's golf coach, Gary Gilchrist. "A lot of these girls have played in these events before. She hasn't. She lost. She has to learn from it."
Martinez held a two-hole lead after the front nine, but was penalized a hole for accepting a ride in an electric cart from the clubhouse to the 10th tee at the Philadelphia Country Club.
"I was very mad," Martinez said of the penalty. "But I just told myself that I had to start over again."
Martinez, unnerved after learning of the penalty, bogeyed the 10th hole to fall into a tie, but then regrouped and made a 12-footer on 13 to save par and take a one-hole lead.
"She didn't take advantage," Gilchrist said of Wie. "She let the other girl believe she could win."
Wie evened the match with a birdie on the par-4 16th, but Martinez came right back to take the lead on 17. She blasted out of a sand trap to 4 feet and made the par putt -- after Wie had missed a short par putt -- to reclaim a one-hole lead.
Wie saved par by knocking in a 5-footer on 18. But Martinez claimed the victory -- and shocked the large gallery that followed the pair around all day -- by making a 3-foot par. Martinez hugged her father and caddie, Julio, after she made the putt.
Wie was left to sign a few autographs and face the media.
"Everything just didn't work," she said.
Especially Wie's putting. While Martinez made long putts to stay in the match, Wie three-putted for a bogey on 7, took three putts to get down from the fringe on the par-5 8th and three-putted for a bogey on 9.
"I felt as if I hit it perfectly and read it perfectly, but it just didn't go in," Wie said.
Wie had a 2-under 140 in the 36-hole medal play, 13 strokes better than Martinez.
"If she plays that way in stroke play, she really would be good," Wie said. "Some players are better in match play."
Song beat Emily Bastel 4 and 3 in her first-round match and Laura Cross 4 and 3 in the second round. Cross had eliminated Song's sister, Naree, 5 and 4 in the first round.
"It was a little revenge, I guess," Aree Song said.
Virada Nirapathpongporn, runner-up to Wie in the Publinks, advanced with a 4 and 3 first-round win over Cecilia Barksdale and a 5 and 4 second-round victory over Ashley Hoagland.
In-Bee Park and Erica Blasberg, who tied for third in stroke play, also advanced to the third round. Park defeated Katie Connelly 2 and 1 in the first round and Lindsay Hulwick 7 and 6 in the second. Blasberg topped Allison Fouch 6 and 5 before beating Tania Elosegul 2-up.
The third round and quarterfinals are today, with the semifinals tomorrow. The 36-hole final is Sunday.
