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Michelle Wie blown away at Sony Open
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-13 11:16
HONOLULU (AP) _ Michelle Wie knocked herself out of contention Thursday at
the Sony Open, carding three double bogeys in a front-nine 42 and making only
one birdie in a windy round that gave her a 9-over 79 and left her little hope
of making the cut.
The 16-year-old school girl, playing for the third straight year in the Sony
Open, tried again to become the first woman in 61 years to make the cut on the
U.S. PGA Tour. But her fourth start on the American men's circuit became her
highest score.
Wie missed a 6-foot birdie on the par-5 ninth, and walked off the green in a
tie for last place with John Cook. It was her worst score by four shots on the
U.S. tour, and it matched her highest score playing against men. Wie also had a
79 in the Bay Mills Open on the Canadian tour when she was 13.
The 40 kph (25 mph) wind, with gusts up to 55 kph (35 mph), was so strong
that players had to tighten their hats and visors to keep them from blowing off.
It was tough on everyone, and South African Rory Sabbatini was the early leader
at 5-under 65.
Wie started with two pars, including a 75-foot bunker shot that she nearly
holed on the par-3 11th. But then she three-putted for bogey at No. 12 by
missing a 3-foot par putt, and on 13, her chip from deep rough failed to reach
the green and she made double bogey.
On 15, she tried to play a low punch shot from the fairway into the wind,
came up short and went into a bunker. With one leg in the sand and the other on
grass, she went over the green and into another bunker. Wie blasted out through
the green and had to two-putt for double bogey from 25 feet.
Wie made her third double bogey on the par-3 17th with a tee shot into a
cavernous bunker, blasting out to 25 feet and running the par putt about 4 feet
by. She tried to switch out her ball because of a scuff mark, a request denied
by playing partners Chris Couch and Camilo Villegas, and then by rules official
John Mutch.
Wie missed the short bogey putt, then failed to take advantage of the only
par 5 on the back nine.
She made her only birdie on a 15-foot putt at No. 3, but didn't give herself
many chances the rest of the way. From the middle of the eighth fairway, her
approach sailed long and wound up hitting the notepad of her agent, Ross Berlin,
leaving a small indentation on the leather pad.
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