[ U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP ]
Michelle Wie watched her drive off the 16th tee yesterday during the second round of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.
Kono, Wie, Wise
advanceThe three Hawaii golfers open
match play in the round
of 64 today
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. » A harmless black snake slithering across Michelle Wie's path drew a screech of fear from her yesterday.
But it took a thunder and lightning storm to get her off her game.
The 14-year-old Punahou School student was 3 under before a 50-minute weather stoppage and 2 over after it, undermined again by one miserable hole as stroke-play qualifying concluded in the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.
Wie, the defending champion, had a three-putt triple-bogey with a penalty stroke yesterday -- one day after a four-putt double-bogey in the first round left her shaking her head. But her 1-under 71 and two-day total of 141 was good enough to tie her for sixth place with three others.
While her encounter with the snake on the tee box after a birdie-birdie start gave her a brief cause for alarm, it was the sirens that sounded signaling a stoppage for lightning that really derailed her.
"I had everything going well," a frustrated Wie said. "I felt like I could shoot 63, 64 and I was trying to shoot birdie on every hole. Something happened after that rain delay. I didn't feel as confident."
But, she added later, "match play tomorrow is a whole different kind of story, and I feel like I'm really ready for that."
The top 64 players -- all at 149 or better -- advanced to today's first round of match play, which continues until a 36-hole championship match on Sunday.
Brittany Lang, a teammate of Wie's on the U.S. team that won the Curtis Cup this month, bolted to the lead at 9-under 135 after a 65 that featured eight birdies on the 6,159-yard Green Course at Golden Horseshoe.
Among those who made the cut were 14-year-old Stephanie Kono, another Punahou student, who finished fourth after a 70--139, and Kauai High graduate Lehua Wise, who finished at 148 after a 75 yesterday.
Waiakea High's Amanda Wilson missed the cut by a stroke, finishing at 72--150. Also missing the cut were Whitney Ueno of Hilo High (77--152), Miki Ueoka from Kauai High (73--153), Baldwin High's Kelli Nakano (81--164) and Kula's Rose Pagan (87--172).
Lang missed only two greens and rolled in birdie putts of 30 and 25 feet, as well as six others from within 8 feet.
"I hit a lot of shots at the flag," the McKinney, Texas, native said.
Taking some time to rest after the Curtis Cup, which pitted the U.S. team against Great Britain and Ireland and ended June 13, was key, Lang said.
"I was wearing myself out with golf and working out," she said.
Lang wasn't the only one who got hot yesterday.
Michelle Wie chipped up to the 15th green as spectators watched her yesterday.
Jenna Pearson of Wheaton, Ill., was two back after a 66, and Courtney Mahon of Topeka, Kan., was third at 138 after a 68. The top five also included Ya-Ni Tseng (70) of Chinese Taipei at 140.
Pearson's round was set up by an unspectacular first round.
"Yesterday I had 17 pars and one birdie and I really didn't make any mistakes, so I just felt really good coming into today," she said.
Kono, six weeks younger and a grade behind Wie, isn't a long hitter like her schoolmate and some of the others playing here. Still, she said match play can give everyone an equal chance.
"If they have a good putting day, that's all it takes," said Kono, who will be a freshman this fall.
Wie would love one of those after two mediocre days on the greens.
Her four-putt Tuesday included two misses from 5 feet, and her three-putt triple-bogey in the second round included a 4-footer that went by the cup.
"I had the little yips going and I was pulling my putts," she said.
The hole started with a second consecutive drive that was badly pulled, this one a snap hook so harsh she hit a provisional drive, too.
She found the first, but it was right behind a downed tree in the woods, an unplayable lie that cost her a stroke. She played her third into the fairway and her fourth onto the green, a 15-foot uphill putt away.
The first went 4 feet past. The second did, too. The third dropped.
"I did get memories from yesterday," she said. "I was like, 'Please, don't four-putt here.' I haven't had an eight in three years."
As she had on Tuesday, Wie followed the bad hole with a birdie, crushing a drive and hitting a wedge within a foot on the 359-yard 4th, and added one more birdie -- from 9 feet -- on the par-3 7th.
Then, she headed to the range before dinner and some rest.
"I feel like I have to work on things," she said.
