Wie, 13, will play the LPGA's Safeway Classic beginning tomorrow in Portland. She will return to Punahou for three weeks, celebrate her 14th birthday (Oct. 11), then play in the LPGA's CJ Nine Bridges Classic in South Korea, Oct. 16 to 19.

Even after her struggles putting the slick greens and finding fairways at the Albertsons Boise Open last week, Wie is optimistic about this week.

"The LPGA players are really good," she said when asked to compare the play on that tour and the Nationwide. "They have really good short games and hit the ball in the fairway every single time. It's amazing. They have the ability to shoot low. I don't see that much difference. The men hit longer and hit better out of the rough — the rough is a lot longer here (on Nationwide).

"Mostly it's going to be a good change for me and I'll enjoy it. ... I really want to win because the course is going to be shorter and I think my game has improved a lot. If my putts start rolling in, I can be way under par."

Nancy Lopez and John Cook are happy to see Wie playing with the women after missing the cut on the men's Canadian and Nationwide tours. Wie followed Annika Sorenstam's blockbuster appearance at Bank of America Colonial and Suzy Whaley qualifying for the Greater Hartford Open; both are PGA Tour events.

Now, Jan Stephenson has been invited to play in the Champions Tour's Turtle Bay Championship (Oct. 10 to 12), and Laura Davies and Natalie Gulbis accepted invitations into the Korean Open (Oct. 16 to 19) on the men's Asian Tour.

"I'm kind of old-fashioned," said Lopez, who had to play on her high school boys team because there was no girls team. "I feel like we have a women's tour, I always wanted to be the best woman and beat all the best women. I think Michelle may have an opportunity to beat the guys someday and maybe win a tournament, but I'd like to see her try and beat Annika first because I want to beat Annika. We need somebody to beat Annika."

Cook was even more adamant about gender jumping on tour.

"Annika is a special person, and Michelle is a very special person," he said, "but I don't like the way it's going. I don't want to see it anymore. To be quite honest, you start to compare, and there is no need to do that.

"What Annika did was great. She was competitive for a while, but she did miss the cut. Then people started to compare, and that's just not fair. You don't want to be that way because she's a great person and great for the game of golf. She's great for the women's game, and that's where the focus should be.

"If somebody wants to pay four grand and go to qualifying school, go right ahead, that's fine. But don't start giving stuff away because nobody gets anything out here."

Waikoloa Open tees off

Regan Lee will go after his third consecutive Waikoloa Open title when the tournament tees off tomorrow at the Kings', Beach and Village courses.

The Professional Flight also includes Casey Nakama, Kevin Hayashi, Philip Chun, John Hearn, Jerry Mullen and Tommy Kim — last year's low amateur who has since turned pro.

Dan Nishimoto will defend his senior title against a field that includes Dick McClean, Dean Prince and Larry Stubblefield.

Waiakea High junior Amanda Wilson is competing in the Championship Flight.

The 30th anniversary of the tournament offers a $25,000 purse, with seniors playing for an additional $5,000.

The 24th annual Mayor's Cup tournament is also this weekend at Ala Wai municipal.

SHORT PUTTS: Hilo's Christel Tomori shot 73-74-75-75 to finish at 9-over-par 297 at last week's second LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Tomori missed getting into a playoff for the right to advance to the final Qualifying tournament by two shots. Camie Hoshino, also from Hilo, missed the cut. ... Approximately 200 golfers raised more than $85,000 in the 10th annual Marriott Links to Literacy: A Benefit for the Hawai'i Library Foundation, Sept. 19 at Ko Olina Golf Club. ... Chad Chastain, brother of soccer star Brandi Chastain, completed his "Golf All 50" tour at Mauna Lani Resort on Sunday. Chastain has been playing golf across the United States in memory of his parents, Roger and Lark Chastain, who separately and unexpectedly passed away this year. The tour raised money for the Children's Cancer Research Fund. ... Ko Olina Resort will be the site of the Xtreme Golf Challenge Saturday. From 6 a.m., twosomes will tee off every two minutes with one playing and one driving, rotating duties each hole. The goal is to finish a round in 40 minutes.