LEBANON, Ohio -- Michelle Wie bounced back with a 2-over 72
in the final round of stroke play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links
on Tuesday, good enough to secure a spot in the match play portion
of the championship.
"Match play is a lot more intense," she said after completing
the 36 holes of medal play in 8-over 148.
Wie, a high school junior-to-be from Honolulu, is playing in the
men's APL because the winner is traditionally invited to play at
The Masters.
The first female to qualify for a men's U.S. Golf Association
championship, the 15-year-old Wie shot a 76 in Monday's first
round.
The top 64 in stroke play moved on to match play, which
culminates with a 36-hole final on Saturday.
Wie's score was above the cut line when she finished, but scores
went up in the afternoon and she ended up tied for 49th.
She will play Will Claxton, a quarterfinalist a year ago, in her
first-round match on Wednesday morning. The 23-year-old Claxton, a
recent graduate of Auburn, is from Swainsboro, Ga.
"I've obviously seen her play on TV," Claxton said. "I'm just
going to try to treat her like any other player and things will
take care of themselves. I won't be ashamed to lose to her, and I'm
not afraid to play her."
For the second day in a row, a huge gallery cheered every one of
Wie's shots. About 300 people, including Wie's parents, stuck with
her for most of her round. Numerous USGA officials and two deputy
sheriffs attempted to clear the way for Wie and her fellow players.
Not everyone was a Wie fan, however.
"I don't think she should be here," said Danny Green, who tied
for second in medal play after matching the tournament low with a
65 for a 2-under 138. "I think she should play in the women's
tournaments because they don't let the men play in women's
tournaments. I just don't agree with that, but it's not my call.
She qualified and she is going by the rules. She's here and she is
a great player. I've got nothing against that."
Wie responded, "I don't really care what they think because I
actually qualified for this event. So I feel I belong here. I'm not
looking for 100 percent support. I know there are going to be
people against me. I'm not going to stop just for them."
The low medalist was Anthony Kim, who shot rounds of 71 and 65
for 4-under 136, a dozen shots better than Wie. Kim is a two-time
All-American who will be a junior at Oklahoma this fall.
Green, playing in his 13th APL, was tied for second with Iowa
State junior Rodney Hamblin Jr. (70-68) and 16-year-old Sihwan Kim
(69-69), the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion.
Wie began the day tied for 84th in the 156-player field.
Starting on the 10th tee at Shaker Run Golf Club, she bogeyed
three of four holes during one span early in her round.
"I wasn't feeling very good about my game," she said. "I made
a couple of stupid errors here and there. I refocused after that."
She countered by birdieing three holes in a row at holes 17, 18
and 1. She had played those same holes in 3-over the day before.
"I learned a lot from yesterday," she said. "The back nine
was still fresh in my mind when I played this morning, and that
helped a lot."
She had double-bogeyed the 17th on Monday but birdied it with a
two-putt from 60 feet after reaching the par-5 hole with a drive
and 4 iron.
"I should get the most improved award from yesterday," she
said.
But much as she had done the day before, when she was even-par
through 10 holes and then played the last eight in 6 over, she made
costly mistakes on the final nine.
She was even for the day through 11 holes, but then bogeyed
three of the next five holes, barely missing a 9-foot birdie putt
on the closing hole.
One spectator near the green was wearing a homemade T-shirt
which said, "Michelle Who?"
Playing partner Ed McDugle, who struggled to an 80 for a 158 to
miss match play, said there was a simple solution for those who
don't want Wie to play golf with the men.
"She teed it up with the men and if the men don't like it, they
should have beat her," he said.