Posted on: Saturday, February 7, 2004

Utah pro grasps Pearl Open lead

By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser

The attention centered on young phenom Michelle Wie, who shot a 2-over-par 74, but the first-round lead in the 26th Hawai'i Pearl Open yesterday belonged to Brett Wayment, a 34-year-old pro from Logan, Utah, who posted a bogey-free 66.

Two of Wayment's six birdies came on chip-ins at the sixth and eighth holes. Starting at the 10th hole, he posted consistent 3-under 33s on both nines.

That gave Wayment, playing in his third straight Pearl Open, a one-stroke lead over Don Berry and Hisashi Sawada, and a two-shot advantage over five others, including Japanese pro Kiyoshi Murota, who's looking for his third victory at the Pearl Country Club. He won in 2002 and 1997.

Playing with a new set of Callaway irons and scrounging up some wedges and an old putter after his clubs were stolen, defending champion Greg Meyer was at 3-under 69 along with six others, including Hawai'i amateurs Joe Phengsavath and Shane Hoshino.

David Ishii, Pearl CC's director of golf and a six-time champion, joined a group at 2-under 70, including Hiroaki Munetsugu, who aced the 212-yard third hole with a 5-iron playing in Wie's foursome.

Wie was asked by a sportswriter from the Denver Post if she had ever seen a hole in one before.

"Yeah," deadpanned Wie. "I have six of 'em."

As for her round yesterday, Wie said she could have played a lot better.

"I didn't feel like I hit the ball well. I didn't play as well as I wanted to," said the 14-year-old, whose only birdie came at the par-5 first hole, her 10th of the day.

"I had a couple of birdie putts I could have made," said Wie, who saw a birdie putt lip out at the seventh hole and a putt for par do the same at the ninth.

"I was hoping to shoot three rounds of 68, but there's still tomorrow and Sunday," said Wie, who seeks to move up the scoreboard. She's tied for 83rd as the only female in the 190-player field. The cut will be the low 80 players and ties but Wie also can advance as one of the 15 low amateurs.

With that in mind, there's no time for the school carnival, according to the Punahou ninth-grader. "You can't do everything," she said. "You have to make a choice and I chose the Pearl Open."

It wasn't a difficult decision for Wie. Pearl Open officials gave her a special exemption two years ago, enabling Wie to play in her first men's open event. Then 12, she missed the cut but tied for 49th last year.

Wie drew a gallery of around 75 to 100 yesterday and it's expected to be more than double that today (she tees off at 12:30 p.m.) and perhaps tomorrow. It figures to be her final appearance in a local tournament the rest of the year, according to her father, BJ Wie.

Munetsugu, who just turned pro last year after being the low amateur in the 2002 Pearl Open, was impressed by both Wie and another teenager in his playing group, 15-year-old Yuki Ito, the Tokyo-area amateur champion last year.

"For a girl to swing like that, it's amazing," Munetsugu said through an interpreter. "They both don't seem like they're junior golfers."

Ishii got off to a bad start, three-putting the first hole for a par and bogeying three and four. "My goal was to get back to even after that," said Ishii, who birdied 15, 16 and 17 after making the turn at 1 over.

Three former collegians making their local pro debut fared well. Norman-Ganin Asao (Hawai'i) shot a 71 and Parker McLachlin (UCLA) and Jim Seki (Stanford) both shot even-par 72s.

Also in a large group at 72 was Michelle's "Uncle," Kevin Hayashi.

"It was a 'good' 72, considering I hit only seven fairways and 10 greens in regulation," Hayashi said.