‘Hopefully, I’ll just keep on getting better and better’

A comeback game and chain of birdies are not miracle enough to make the cut

There was no miracle on Kahala Avenue yesterday. But for a little while the clouds opened up, a rainbow appeared and all Michelle Wie needed to do was keep the birdie train going for a few more holes. Then there would be more golf for her today and the pre-calculus study session could wait.

Then a 3-putt and a bad chip brought Wie and the four-deep gallery at Waialae Country Club back to reality. Even a birdie on No. 18 was not enough, and Wie once again did not make the cut at the Sony Open.

She had bounced back, though, and bounced back strong. As she had promised she would the day before, Wie played aggressively, never second-guessing herself. She dealt with the wind but did not obsess over it.

"It was almost a long reach to make the cut, and I tried to make as much birdies as I can and see where it takes me," she said. "I think that worked today."

High risk and high reward was good enough for a 2-under-par 68, with seven birdies and five bogeys. She birdied four of five holes in a row, and with six holes left the impossible had become doable.

"I was like 7-over, OK. I only need like four more birdies. I felt pretty good about my game," she said. "I just tried to crack that, crack at it, but it wasn't enough. But I feel good."

That's the most important thing. Golf became fun again for Wie. It should be for a 16-year-old, or anyone.

To hear her talk, the worst day on the course is better than the best day at school. But that theory was put to the test Thursday when she sprayed a horrific 9-over 79 and knocked herself out of contention.

"If the tournament started from today, I think I would have done a lot better," she said. "Just coming into the first day, the wind was howling, I just kind of put myself in that situation, not really playing my best on the first couple of holes, and that kind of caught up with me. Today, I feel a lot more relaxed."

It seemed to help that playing partner Camilo Villegas got on an incredible roll yesterday. Before his 6-under 64 for the best round of the day, it looked like the young Colombian would leave Hawaii more known for his No. 65 in the 64-crayon-box pants color than for his golf game.

Wie and Villegas matched each other shot for crowd-pleasing shot on the back nine. They waved to the crowd and smiled. The kids led the entire field with seven birdies each, and golf was a game again.

"I told her (Thursday) on the 18th hole, I go, 'Michelle, we'll have a good one tomorrow, we'll have fun.' And she did. She got relaxed, and it's a little easier to play like that."

Villegas, who turned pro in 2004 and 24 last week, is a PGA Tour rookie by way of the Nationwide Tour.

"Camilo was playing awesome," Wie said. "And one thing I learned from him is that when you look at him, it doesn't look like he's playing 6-under, he looks at ease and it seems like the game was really easy. And he wasn't hitting every single fairway. He was like in the trees and the bunkers a lot."

Wie, of course, already knew that. She has had many runs where she makes the game look simple, where she is feeling it and feeds off the crowd and momentum. It is just putting two rounds like yesterday's together that has eluded her, especially lately.

But resilience is a strong suit.

"Obviously, I was very crushed yesterday about how bad I played," she said. "But I woke up this morning and just -- I just tried to relax out there and just tried to have fun. I think I achieved that."

Although one would have been nice yesterday, Wie does not need miracles. She just needs time.

"You know, I just have a lot more years to go," she said. "Hopefully, I'll just keep on getting better and better."

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