Wie struggles to opening 81
Advertiser Staff and Wire Services
Michelle Wie, a 12-year-old from Hawai'i playing in her second LPGA event this year, shot a 9-over-par 81 yesterday in the first round of the Asahi Ryokuken International at North Augusta, S.C.
Wie, playing on a sponsor exemption, missed the cut in the season-opening Takefuji Classic in Hawai'i with rounds of 72 and 74 after becoming the youngest Monday qualifier in LPGA tour history.
After yesterday's round, Wie was tied with former University of Hawai'i standout Cindy Rarick and Diane Irvin.
"After I hit my first shot, I had shakiness for about 10 minutes," said Wie, a Punahou seventh-grader, who had a 3-over 39 on the front nine and a 6-over 42 on the back, which included birdies at the 16th and 17th holes at the Mount Vintage Plantation course.
Laura Davies, who heard last fall that Mount Vintage Plantation was her kind of course showed it yesterday, shooting a 5-under 67 to take the first-round lead.
Davies was scheduled to play in the inaugural tournament last September, but was overseas and pulled out of the LPGA's first event after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I heard all my friends who play here say it was very hilly, and then tell they thought it would really suit my game," said Davies, who finished two shots ahead of Grace Park.
"There's no out of bounds. There's very little water. I can stand up on the tee with confidence. And if I hit in the trees, you can find it and get it out," she said.
Park, who won her first LPGA tournament in 2000 in South Carolina's Grand Strand area, continued her strong play in the Palmetto State. However, she bogeyed the 18th hole for a 69.
Annika Sorenstam, coming off a victory last week in the Aerus Electrolux USA Championship, started with back-to-back birdies. She finished with an even-par 72 after holing a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.
PGA TOUR
• Estes leads Colonial: All of that tinkering may be coming together for Bob Estes, who shot a 5-under-par 65 in windy conditions yesterday to take a two-stroke lead in the Colonial at Fort Worth, Texas.
Estes had a bogey-free round to match his best score of the year and finish two strokes ahead of a group of nine players. The former University of Texas player birdied the first two holes and also closed with two straight birdies.
"The winds were difficult, but I managed to combat the wind for the most part," Estes said. "A lot of good shots didn't turn out good, or some mishit ones turned out OK. It was difficult to pull the right club."
The breeze was blowing as usual over the historic 7,080-yard layout known as Hogan's Alley, but the 10-20 mph wind gusted throughout the day and swirled in different directions.
David Duval, Steve Jones and Steve Lowery were at 67, along with Esteban Toledo, Scott Verplank, Bob Tway, Brandt Jobe, Frank Lickliter and Joel Edwards.
