Wie wins again

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

LANIKAI — In a summer that re-defined the term baby boomer, Michelle Wie completed an improbable pre-teen slam yesterday.

Michelle Wie capped her final-round, even-par 72 yesterday by draining a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a two-stroke victory in the HSWGA Stroke Play Championship. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

In May, Wie won the Jennie K. Invitational — the first women's major of the year — by nine shots at Mid-Pacific. Then Stephanie Kono, also 11, captured the match play title. Yesterday's pulsating finish was a remarkable end to an extraordinary summer.

And an extraordinary duel.

Wie's prodigious driving deserted her on the back nine yesterday, but she tenaciously hung on with an amazing putting touch she attributes to a hand shake from teacher Casey Nakama Wednesday afternoon. Wie slammed in four putts between 15-20 feet on the final six greens .

"Perfect line, perfect speed," Wie said. "I didn't really expect that."

Eventually she did. Eventually, everyone might.

"She made really important saving putts," Kyono said. "Normally you wouldn't expect that from an 11-year-old, but she's extraordinary, I guess."

Two of those putts were for par, one for bogey — after she hit a tree and golf cart — and then the game-winner. She also two-putted No. 16 for birdie. This all followed a "momentum-killing" bogey at the 12th, which her caddy — father BJ — said he caused.

He charts the pin placements on each hole, and accidentally put a plus on No. 12, meaning the pin was in back. It was in front, and Wie hit her short approach shot over the green.

"I teach applied math at the university," BJ said. "It was such a simple mistake. I felt really terrible. But she's a survivor."

So is Kyono, a consistent 17-year-old who hit every green in regulation yesterday, give or take a few feet. But two three-putts, and many missed birdie opportunities, eventually killed her chance to defend her title.

The Kaua'i High graduate, who is heading to Pepperdine this month on a golf scholarship, has finished in the top three all three years she has played this tournament. She also won the girls high school championship this year.

"Rachel is very steady," Umemura said. "Her game reminds me of (Hilo pro) Christel Tomori's. Just fairways and greens and two-putt. That's the kind of player who is intimidating because they don't make mistakes. You just wait for the birdies to fall and they're right there."

Kyono's third three-putt yesterday was anti-climactic. On the final green, she needed a 40-footer for birdie. Putting first, she hit it dead on line, but about two feet short. After Wie's winning putt, Kyono missed her par.

Umemura putted second. She missed three birdie putts inside 15 feet to open the back nine, but buried this one from 20 feet above the hole.

Wie, on the same line as Umemura but below the hole, then put the winning putt in the heart of the hole.

"I was just confident, that one I was really confident, because I'd made the long ones all day," Wie said. "I knew I'd make it. Anna's putt really helped me."

After Umemura's putt, Kyono said she knew Wie would make it, too. So did Umemura.

"I had a feeling she was going to drain it, I had a feeling," Umemura said. "She's a very intense player. And with a 15-footer left to win on the last hole — a very dramatic finish — I thought she just has to make it to the hole and it will probably go in."

Wie closed with an even-par 72, and a tournament total of 4-over-par 220 — the second-lowest total in history. Kyono shot 75—222 and Umemura 73—223. Merynn Ito (73—224), the 2000 girls high school champion,was the only other player to break 230. She is heading to Nebraska on a golf scholarship.

Wie starts seventh grade in two weeks. Her priorities will change.

"I just have to finish my homework now," she said. "That's the main priority."

Umemura will return to Tennessee and graduate in December, then plans to try and qualify for the Futures Tour. After four years of frustration — Umemura won all three women's majors in 1997 but has struggled since — she finally feels good about her game again.

"I think I finally got my head back into it," said Umemura, 22. "My head was a little lost for awhile. I wasn't able to get a consistent game going. It's really intense right now. I feel the fire again."

Ironically, Umemura's major is child development. The last three days were like student teaching.

"Michelle made very clutch putts coming in," Umemura said. "And made a terrific approach on 16 from the trees. That was very good. It's a good sign that her game is really, really developing into something special."

SHORT PUTTS: Anna Umemura (1997) and Rachel Kyono (2000) share the scoring record in this 36-year-old tournament, with 219 totals. After Michelle Wie's score yesterday (220), the next-best total is the late Althea Tome's 221, in 1980. ... The tournament started in 1962, but was not held from 1965-68, and was only 36 holes from 1969-74. It has been played at Mid-Pacific since 1994.