ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thirteen-year-old Michelle Wie hit a drive off the 12th tee during the Albertsons Boise Open yesterday in Boise, Idaho. Michelle went on to finish at 7-over-par 78.
Even at 7 over, Wie
optimistic about cutDespite some tough shots on
the first day, the 13-year-old
thinks a 64 isn't impossible
BOISE, Idaho >> Not even a frustrating afternoon can dampen Michelle Wie's optimism.
Wie, the 13-year-old Punahou freshman who's playing in her second men's tournament in a month, opened with a birdie yesterday, then unraveled and finished with a 7-over 78 in the first round of the Boise Open. She needed a stellar round this morning to make the cut in the Nationwide Tour event.
"I think I can shoot 64. I shot a 64 when I was 10. Why can't I do it now?" Wie said.
Why not?
Wie remained unfazed even after the disappointing opening round. If she did pull off a miracle round and made the cut, it would be the accomplishment of the summer for women's golf.
Wie is the latest in this season's small trend of women crossing over to PGA-sanctioned events. Annika Sorenstam got it started in the Colonial, where she failed to make the cut but gained overwhelming support from the crowds. Suzy Whaley qualified for the Greater Hartford Open, also missing the cut, and LPGA veteran Jan Stephenson has accepted an invitation to play on Oahu at the Turtle Bay Championship on the Champions Tour in October.
While Sorenstam, Whaley and Stephenson are adults who have seen plenty of high-level competition, Wie just started the ninth grade. She'll be a long shot to become the first of the bunch to make a cut while playing against men.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Michelle Wie hit out of the rough on the 14th hole yesterday during the Albertsons Boise Open. Wie is the first female junior amateur to compete in a PGA-sanctioned tournament.
"It was tough, really tough. The rough, I think it grew yesterday -- or even today," Wie said. "The course was in really good condition. I was a little unlucky."
The 6,769-yard course didn't require booming drives as much as accuracy, which Wie didn't have enough on the speedy greens at Hillcrest Country Club.
Wie struggled with her driver, but compensated by using smaller clubs off the tee. Her tee shots were often right with -- and sometimes past -- those of playing partners Kevin Burton and Joseph Summerhays and her early iron shots consistently reached the green. But she had very few short putts for birdies and the ones she did have just missed the hole.
"Usually those kind of putts are nothing to me. Maybe today something just happened. I couldn't make those putts go in," Wie said. "I think I felt more comfortable making the long putts than those 4-footers."
Wie's only birdie came on a putt that rolled downhill 20 feet and dropped in the cup. She followed it with a fist pump and a very visible sigh of relief.
"I don't know. I thought I was going to shoot 54 today," she said.
The celebration was short-lived. Her second shot from the rough on No. 2 went about 10 yards as she bogeyed three of the next four holes. Only a 20-foot chip she rolled in on the third hole saved her from four straight bogeys.
Wie finished with nine pars, eight bogeys and the one birdie.
"It was really great, although I had some bad shots," Wie said.
Despite her struggles, the tall and slender teen never seemed to lose her composure and was still smiling on the back nine even after falling further behind on a crisp, sunny afternoon. Charles Warren led yesterday after shooting a 6-under 65 and held a two-stroke lead over Brian Wilson and John Curley.
Wie, Jason Hill and David Mathis were tied for 151st with their rounds of 78, ahead of Punahou alumnus Parker McLachlin (79) and Michael Christie (80).
Kamehameha alumnus Keoke Cotner shot a 77.
It wasn't difficult to find Wie, she had the largest gallery on the course. Many fans sported pins that read "Go Michelle" and the ovation Wie received when she was introduced at the first tee was louder than the one for Burton, who's from Boise.
"A lot of people were hooting and hollering, although I don't think we gave them much to hoot about," said Burton, who shot a 72. "She's a very nice young lady. She's got a lot of game."
This is Wie's second venture against men in the last month. She played respectably in a Canadian tour event in August, but missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 79. This week's cut is expected to be around even par today.
Wie's father, B.J. Wie, who was her caddie yesterday, said his daughter would try going from a 7.5-degree loft driver to 9.5 degrees. If that doesn't work, Wie can go back to using a 3-wood off the tee, which she did a few times yesterday.
"Her line was a little bit off. She lost confidence in the driver," B.J. Wie said. "Overall her driving accuracy wasn't good with the driver, but she made a lot of pars with the 3-wood."
