"I think I will be able to handle it," said the 14-year-old local phenom, who was given a sponsor's exemption to play in the PGA Tour's first full-field tournament of the 2004 season.

Wie figures to draw larger than usual weekday crowds at the Waialae Country Club. Whether she can make the 36-hole cut and play through the weekend remains to be seen, but Wie feels more confident than a young teen has any right to be in playing at the highest level of men's golf .

"It's realistic," Wie said about her chances. But she hopes that tradewinds pick up at Waialae so that scores can be around 1 or 2 over par 70. Higher scores will improve her chances, according to Wie.

Playing before a home crowd and on a hometown course — Wie's best score from the back tees at Waialae is a 5-under 65 last November — can be confidence boosters as well.

It also would help if she's paired with any of the other five local players in the field — Dean Wilson, Kevin Hayashi, Ron Castillo Jr., David Ishii or Jonathan Ota, who will join Wie as the only other amateur in the event.

"I really want to make the cut because I think I can," she said. "My short game is a lot better. I know more about control, when to use a driver and when not."

Wie plans on hitting driver on every long hole except the members' sixth (No. 14 for the tournament), where a 3-wood would be more comfortable for her.

The key, she says, is playing the first six holes on the tournament's back nine under par. They're among the most friendly of Waialae's holes.

Wie isn't concerned about all the talk that women playing in men's events is a novelty that has run its course. She can change all that if she makes the cut.

"I've always played with the men. It's what I want to do. If I get more invites (to men's events), I'd be happy to play," said Wie, who stunned the golf world last year when she finished in the top 10 of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA's first major of the year, and became the youngest player to win the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

It's one more incentive to do well this week, said Wie, who added that playing in the Sony Open is yet another goal she has dreamed about doing.

"I'm looking forward to it. I think I'll do good."

On people asking her why she is doing all this, Wie replies simply: "I ask: 'Why not?' I think I am normal aside from this. I go to school. I'm normal there."

And Wie would have made Yogi Berra proud after being asked if she was worried about suffering from burnout: