ISLE FILE
Wie given exemption in World golf

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Honolulu's Michelle Wie has been extended a sponsor's exemption to play in the Samsung World Championship, Oct. 14 to 17, at the Bighorn Golf Club at Palm Desert, Calif.

The tournament is considered the fifth major for women and features the LPGA's top 20 money earners.

It will be the sixth and last exemption Wie can accept to play this season. Wie will be 15 and a Punahou sophomore when the Samsung is played.

MORE GOLF

• UH women ninth: Sara Odelius shot a 2-under-par 70 yesterday and finished seventh to lead the University of Hawai'i women to a ninth-place finish at the BYU-Dixie Classic at the Estrada Golf Course at St. George, Utah.

Odelius finished with a three-day 8-over 224. It was her fourth consecutive top-10 finish this season. UNLV's Sunny Oh won with a 1-under 215. UH's Dale Gammie was tied for ninth after a 79-226.

UNLV won the team title with a 12-over 876. UH finished at 953 in the 13-team tournament.

• UH men 13th: The University of Hawai'i men's golf team finished 13th out of 18 teams yesterday at the three-round Bite/Pacific Coast Intercollegiate at LaPurisima Golf Course at Lompoc, Calif.

The Warriors shot a final round 300 to finish at 917. UC Davis won the tournament with an 881. UC Riverside was second at 884.

Travis Betroni of Cal Poly shot a par-72 and finished at 3-under 213 to capture medalist honors. James Beston was UH's highest finisher (tied for 39th) after a 74-229.

DIVING

• Gowdy advances: University of Hawai'i diver Mike Gowdy qualified for the American Cup Championships in Minneapolis after finishing fourth in the 3-meter springboard qualifying yesterday at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center.

Gowdy, a senior, finished with 345.18 points to advance to the 3-meter championship on Friday.

The top 13 divers (out of 25) advanced. Mitchell Richeson of Indianapolis was first in the qualifying with 368.58 points.