13-year-old keeps her cool despite problems on greens

By Michael McGarry
Special to The Advertiser

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Michelle Wie missed six makeable birdie putts. Her drives found just two of 14 fairways.

Still, the 13-year-old phenom from Honolulu left LPGA veteran Mary Beth Zimmerman in awe after yesterday's first round of the $1.3 million ShopRite LPGA Classic.

"Being around her today, it's hard to believe she is only 13 years old," said Zimmerman, who has won four LPGA events. "I still don't believe it. She's got the game."

Wie, who was paired with professionals Zimmerman and Ara Koh, shot an even-par 71 on the Bay Course at Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa. Wie is tied for 51st, six shots back of leaders Kris Lindstrom, Angela Stanford and Laura Diaz.

It is a good thing Wie has reached the older and wiser age of 13.

Otherwise, she would not have handled the bad breaks that happened during the round.

Some of her birdie putts slid by the hole because they rolled over spike marks.

"The greens were bumpy," she said.

She averaged 276.5 yards off the tee, but many of her drives rolled through the fairway into the rough.

"Some days you're lucky and some days you're not," she said. "When I was 10 or 11, I would have shot a higher score. Now I know how to recuperate."

Yesterday's first round was held in 90-degree plus temperatures and oppressive humidity. Wie admitted she felt tired.

While Wie is not at the top of the leader board, she is still No. 1 with Classic fans and media.

Wie began her round on the back nine. A steady stream of fans began to walk from the clubhouse to the 10th hole as her tee-time approached.

She was surrounded by autograph-seekers when she emerged from the pro-shop. She drew a gallery as large as the one that normally follows the Classic leaders on the weekend.

"I'm going to give up golf," one spectator said after she hit a 300-yard drive on the 12th hole. "I couldn't hit the ball that far in three shots."

Eleven newspaper photographers scrambled to get pictures of her during the beginning of her round.

Her post-round press conference drew more reporters than the ones held by the leaders.

As she did in her Thursday press conference, Wie uttered several one-liners that had reporters laughing out loud.

Her father, BJ, caddies for her. The father and daughter had some disagreements about club selection yesterday.

"We were on different planets," she said with a smile. "We were always arguing about club selection, but I was always right."

On the seventh hole, a 182-yard par-3, Wie wanted to hit a 4-iron off the tee. BJ suggested a 5-iron.

Wie won that battle. She hit the 4-iron to within eight feet of the hole. Wie looked back at her father and smiled.

"He told me 'I hit it fat (weak),'" she said. "But I hit it good."

Wie said she would not fire her dad.

"I don't want to pay for another caddie," she said to laughter.

Less any one forget that Wie is a teen — and that is easy to do with the way she handles herself on and off the course — she told the media that Thursday night she finished the new Harry Potter book "The Order of the Phoenix."

"It was fun," she said, "very interesting."