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Wie 1 round away from earning her tour card


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POSTED: Sunday, December 07, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. » Michelle Wie is in the final group at a golf tournament for the first time in more than two years, this time without the pressure of trying to win her first tournament as a pro.

Wie saved par on three of her last four holes yesterday for a 4-under 68 that left her one shot behind former NCAA champion Stacy Lewis at the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament, where the only goal is to leave LPGA headquarters with a full-time job.

Better than being in second place, Wie was nine shots clear of the cutoff for the top 20 players to earn their cards.

Lewis hit a delicate pitch over the bunker to an elevated green for a tap-in birdie on the par-5 16th, sending her to a 5-under 67 and the lead at 15-under 273.

Wie went bunker-to-bunker on the 15th and escaped with par, made birdie from the greenside bunker on the 16th, hit a tough chip down the slope to save par on the 17th and closed out her round with another tough bunker save on the 18th to finish at 14-under 274.

Amy Yang of South Korea, who has won on four tours around the world, shot a 67 and was at 275.

They will be in the final group at the easier Champions course, which is being used for the last round this year because it accommodates a small grandstand behind the 18th green and allows for more movement of spectators.

 

Ogilvy wins Australian PGA

COOLUM, Australia » Australian star Geoff Ogilvy won the Australian PGA today, closing with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke victory over Mathew Goggin.

Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, won for the first time on the Australasian tour, finishing at 14-under 274 on the Hyatt Regency resort course.

“;I made a lot of good putts today and got up and down well when I missed a few greens,”; said Ogilvy, who had only one bogey on the weekend—his last was on the sixth hole in yesterday's third round.

 

Frazar shoots 59 at Q-school

LA QUINTA, Calif. » Harrison Frazar shot a 59 in the fourth round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament, the first player in eight years to hit golf's magic number at Q-school.

Frazar, winless in 300 starts during his PGA Tour career, had a 30 on the front nine of the Nicklaus Tournament course at PGA West, then ran off seven consecutive birdies from the 11th hole. He knocked in a 35-foot birdie putt on the 17th to reach 13 under, and he had a birdie putt on the 18th that came up just short.

Frazar was at 24-under 264 and leading by four shots with only two rounds remaining.