Wie accepts invitation to play in Fields Open

Michelle Wie will begin the season in Hawaii for the fifth straight year, this time against the women.

Wie accepted a sponsor’s exemption yesterday to play in The Fields Open at Ko Olina, hopeful of getting her career back on track after a troublesome season of injuries, missed cuts and withdrawls.

An 18-year-old freshman at Stanford, Wie has started her season at the Sony Open on the PGA Tour the last four years and nearly made the cut as a 14-year-old when she shot a 68. But she has yet to make a cut in seven tries on the PGA Tour, and she did not play the Sony Open this year, a sign that she plans to concentrate on the LPGA while trying to regain her form.

The Fields Open, where Wie tied for third two years ago, is Feb. 21-23 and is the second event on the LPGA Tour schedule.

Wie injured both wrists last year and kept playing, making only three cuts and breaking par twice in 19 rounds against the women.

Ayaka Kaneko, a 17-year-old student at Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu, also received an exemption to play at Ko Olina.

Kaneko advanced to the quarterfinals of last year’s U.S Women’s Amateur Public Links and finished second in the U.S. Girls Junior Championship. She also competed in the 2006 U.S. Women’s Open.

Wie and Kaneko could be joined by two other teenagers from Oahu.

Stephanie Kono, 18, and Cyd Okino, 14, will try to Monday qualify for the Fields Open on Feb. 18 at