Posted at 3:46 p.m., Monday, June 9, 2003
Wie earns U.S. Women's Open bid in playoff
Associated Press
HEATHROW, Fla. Thirteen-year-old Michelle Wie of Honolulu birdied the first hole of a playoff at a sectional qualifying event today, giving her one of the last bids to the upcoming U.S. Women's Open.The U.S. Women's Open will be played at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore., on July 3-6.
Also winning a berth in the playoff was 15-year-old Morgan Pressel.
Wie and Pressel, part of golf's growing wave of talented tyros, were tied with Elisabeth Esteril with 5-over 147s after the 36-hole qualifier.
The three began the playoff with solid drives on a 369-yard par-4, an uphill dogleg left. Wie stuck a 6-iron from 160 yards within 4 feet of the pin.
Esteril hit into a sand trap before Pressel knocked the ball into the fringe. Esteril couldn't make the sand save and Pressel two-putted for par, setting up Wie's putt as the clincher.
Wie is an eighth grader at Punahou School.
