Wie finishes 39th at U.S. Women's Open

By John Baker
Special to The Advertiser

NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — Striding down the final fairway of the final hole of her first U.S. Women's Open yesterday afternoon, Hawai'i's Michelle Wie was burning inside.

After three days of controversy with dad BJ Wie as her caddie, Michelle Wie was accompanied by her coach Gary Gilchrist in the final round of the U.S. Women's Open. Wie shot a 5-over 76 yesterday for a 14-over 298 finish. Associated Press

She wasn't the only one. The huge gallery that had followed her for more than four hours wanted her to finish with a flourish, as did the thousands who sat in the stands or ringed the 18th green.

"I kind of felt it owed me," said Wie, who hadn't made a birdie at 18 all week.

After her second shot went wide left on the 502-yard, par-5 18th, it looked like the opportunity might slip through her young fingers.

No, not this time, she decided.

The 13-year-old from Honolulu chipped out of trouble to about 15 feet from the pin, then calmly sank the putt to claim one last small victory as the stands erupted.

"That's my favorite memory of this tournament," said Wie, "that last birdie."

Wie finished at 14-over 298 (39th place), carding a 5-over par 76 in her final round. Kelly Robbins, Angela Stanford and Hilary Lunke were tied for the lead at 283 after regulation and will be in an 18-hole playoff today.

Wie will take all kinds of memories home from her first U.S. Women's Open, some of them unpleasant. While the fallout of her Thursday run-in with playing partner Danielle Ammaccapane dragged on through Saturday, and involved her father and caddie, BJ Wie, yesterday was about offering up a change of pace.

It started early for Wie the player when she awoke yesterday morning to find that Wie the caddie would not be on her bag for the final round. On Saturday, BJ Wie retracted earlier claims that Ammaccapane pushed his daughter on the No. 14 green, apparently angry over a breach of etiquette. But he stood by statements that Ammaccapane later berated his daughter in the scoring tent.

"I woke up today and my mom said my dad wasn't going to caddie for me today and I said 'OK,' " is how Wie described the decision.

Gilchrist said the idea was hatched Saturday night as the parties talked about the past three days and the possibilities for the final round.

"We talked it over last night and decided I'd be on her bag today," Gilchrist said. "I wanted to listen to her decision-making process and she was pretty right on all day."

The difference in her play was noticeable. She mixed with playing partner Stephanie Louden, celebrated good shots, agonized over missed putts, and showed a wide smile far more frequently than she had the first three days.

"I think she played pretty good today," Gilchrist said. "She was pulling the ball, as she has been all week, and that led to her struggles."

Gilchrist said that he will be on the bag again when Wie resumes playing in two weeks at the U.S. Juniors at Fairfield, Conn., but added he expects BJ to be back on her bag soon.

Yesterday, BJ Wie, stayed behind the rope as another face in his daughter's large gallery.

"Just to give her a fresh atmosphere," he told Associated Press. "It has been a very difficult week."

Michelle had her own perspective.

"It's been a roller coaster," Wie said. "It was kind of hard at first, but I'm getting stronger. People just have a field day when something weird happens. I thought my coach was a very good caddie, though."

Even with Gilchrist on her bag, Wie got off to a slow start, posting bogeys on Nos. 2, 4, and 6. As had been the case throughout the week, finding the fairways was tough for her.

At 3-over at six holes, Wie got things on an upswing at No. 7. The 559-yard par 5 welcomed one of several 300-plus yard drives in the first cut of rough. After her second shot found the trees on the right, she got a break — the ball bounced back into the fairway, setting up a straight-on wedge into the green. From 20 feet she bent a right to left putt into the cup, sending her gallery into a roar.

She would card two more bogeys and a par at No. 10 before striking again on the 11th, a 534-yard, par-5 test. Again, her drive was in the 290-yard range but found the rough on the right. She dug it out to within 80 yards of the green, chipped to within 25 feet, then hit the putt for birdie.

"Before you can win a U.S. Open, you've got to play a U.S. Open," Gilchrist said. "That's what Michelle had to do this week — play in the U.S. Open. We had a lot of fun today."

The youngster would continue to struggle off the tee and missed five makeable short putts on the day, but was undaunted by the turmoil that has surrounded her for so much of her U.S. Open. She was going to enjoy her final round.

Gilchrist said that the players helped turn things around for his student.

"I think she's 13 years old and has been accepted in a positive way," he said of the reaction from other players. "So many of the girls have stepped up 100 percent to support her this week. It's been a big help getting that support from the other players."

On Friday, Wie was believed to become the youngest player to make the cut at the U.S. Women's Open.

One of those helping the youngster along was Louden, who had played a practice round with Wie earlier in the week. She found yesterday's pairing with the teenage phenom to be a good experience.

"I felt very comfortable with her and was excited to have played with Michelle," Louden said. "I had a chance to get to know her a little. It was fun today. It was nice to both get birdies on the final hole considering neither one of us played real well."

Wie admitted that the final round was a struggle. She said that this was the first time she'd played in tournaments on three consecutive weeks, and that by the fifth hole she felt the effects, both mentally and physically.

"I was just mentally and physically tired from the fifth hole on," she said. "I was thinking, 'Please let this round be over soon.' I haven't played three weeks in a row like that before."

But with two weeks before her next tournament, she said she will be reenergized.

"I think with two weeks of rest, I'll be ready to go," she said.

After all that happened, after all that had been written, said, and later retracted, was she happy with her U.S. Women's Open experience?

"Yeah, I guess," she said.