Wie, Dwyer, Miyajima
make cut

The three from Hawaii reach
the match-play portion of the
U.S. Women's Amateur

COURTESY PHOTO Michelle Wie: Top player from Hawaii to advance to match play

ERIE, Pa. >> Michelle Wie qualified for match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur, despite struggling to a 6-over 78 in the second round of stroke play yesterday.

"I feel really relieved to be playing match play now," said the 14-year-old from Hawaii, who shot 75 in the first round. "I don't have to think about strokes anymore. Strokes really add up out there, I was playing good golf out there and got a couple bad breaks."

The top 64 scorers in stroke play moved on to match play; Wie tied for 39th place in stroke play and will meet Curtis Cup teammate Angela Park of Torrance, Calif., who finished tied for 21st at 7 under.

Two other players from Hawaii qualified for match play. Bridget Dwyer of Kailua followed her opening 78 with a 76 to tie for 48th and Shayna Miyajima of Wailuku also posted a 76 after her first-round 79 to squeak her way into today's play in a tie for 58th.

Dwyer plays Tania Elosegui of Spain today. Elosegui led after round one but shot an 81 yesterday. Miyajima plays South Korea's Hee-Young Park, who tied for second with rounds of 72-71.

Mari Chun of Pearl City failed to qualify for match play. She had rounds of 84 and 81 to miss a playoff for the final spot by nine strokes.

COURTESY PHOTO Bridget Dwyer: Finished one shot behind Wie and one ahead of Miyajima

In last year's Women's Amateur, Wie shot 73-67 to finish second in stroke play and then lost in the first round of match play to Maru Martinez of Venezuela 1-up.

"Last year was a pretty bad tournament," Wie said. "I played pretty good in stroke play, but I got a little lazy. I've been in all the trouble I can be already, so maybe it's good that I played so bad. This will keep me awake and motivated."

Wie lost in the final of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in June. "I took a lot from my experience in the Public Links -- that was very tough," said Wie, who won the 2003 Amateur Public Links Championship.

"But this is a different golf course, a different field. I put pressure on myself to perform and win. Right now I just want to get up there again."

Amie Cochran, a freshman this fall at UCLA, shot rounds of 70-71 to finish as the medalist at 141 in stroke-play qualifying.