Wie’s summer school
grade: tie for 6th

The Punahou sophomore finishes strong
at the Wendy's Championship
for Children tournament

DUBLIN, Ohio » While Hee-Won Han and Catriona Matthew battled it out in a playoff yesterday at the Wendy's Championship for Children, Honolulu's Michelle Wie relaxed outside the clubhouse, chatting with friends.

Someday she'll be the one trying to hit a perfect approach shot to set up a dramatic win or make a pressure putt to force a playoff -- and for a while it looked like that day may have arrived -- but Wie settled for another top-10 finish at an LPGA event.

Matthew defeated defending champion Han on the first playoff hole to win her second career LPGA title. Both players finished at 10 under par in regulation, with Matthew making up two shots for the day. Han missed a putt on the 18th hole that would have won it.

Lorena Ochoa had the best round of the day, a 5-under 67, to vault her into third place at 9 under. She waited in vain after completing her round -- hoping Han and Matthew would stumble and allow her back in the match.

Patricia Meunier-Lebouc shot 6 under on the front nine and was tied for the lead late in the day, but 17 got her just like it got Wie on Saturday and the Frenchwoman finished with a double bogey, bogey over the final two holes.

Wie shot a 3-under 69 and finished the tournament tied for sixth with a four-day total of 6-under 282, four shots off the pace.

Wie started the day five shots back and got as close as three behind the leader after a solid front nine, but the Punahou School sophomore couldn't make up any more ground over the final nine holes.

"If I could just play that front nine twice, I think I would have been winning this thing by 10," Wie said. "I played really good on the front nine but the back nine is a lot harder."

Wie birdied Nos. 4, 8 and 9 to get to 6 under halfway through. She birdied No. 4 all four days of the tournament and had three birdies and an eagle on 9.

Overall, she shot 10 under on the front nine over the four days (with 13 birdies and an eagle), and shot 4 over on the back nine.

Wie showed she'd learned from her mistakes on Saturday on 17, making a birdie putt. She carded a quadruple bogey on that hole in the third round after hitting two balls into the water.

"The tee was a little bit ahead (of where it was placed Saturday) so I had a wedge in my hand, so it was a lot easier," Wie said. "I felt more comfortable today."

Her birdie on 17 yesterday followed a bogey on 16, where her par putt came up 2 inches short.

Wie showed her maturity by refusing to dwell on Saturday's disastrous 17. Without those four shots she dropped, she'd have been in contention, if not leading, going into the final round.

"If you think about what-ifs, you'll drive yourself crazy, and I don't want to do that," the 14-year old said.

Wie had Kelli Kuehne as a playing partner the final two days and veteran Lori Kane yesterday.

"(Kelli) was great. She was so fun to play with and she was very nice," Wie said. "I was very fortunate. They were very encouraging. Lori was very encouraging today, saying, 'You hit a very good shot.'

"It was fun playing with a veteran like that and I learned a lot from the experience."

Kane, who finished tied for 10th at 5 under, said it was the first time she'd played with Wie during a tournament.

"She's got it all," the four-time tour winner said. "I just hope she keeps enjoying it. I was nowhere near ready to be out here (at 14)."

Keuhne slid all the way down to a tie for 19th after a 2-over 74 final round. Amateur Paula Creamer shot a 69 to finish 18th at 2 under par.