LPGA should speed up return to Isles

• What they're saying ...

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Columnist

Yesterday, it was apparent that the tournament missed her, too.

For on a day when the tournament got back to the more familiar third-round routine of sorting out the contenders on moving day, the atmosphere at Waialae Country Club had changed perceptively.

On Day One A.M. — after Michelle — the darling of the tournament was to be found behind the microphone as an ESPN guest commentator, on the course where she had become the pied piper for golf fans, new and old.

Among the 65 players from the field of 144 who missed the cut, Wie's departure from the inside of the ropes was easily the most noticeable across the course where the electricity took a decided dip.

"Oh, it seemed boring out there today, not a whole lot of excitement compared to the last few days," said Davis Love III, who was contending for the lead.

"The only exciting thing today I watched was Vijay (Singh) hit it across (No.) 10 again," Love joked.

Indeed, much of the buzz Wie had brought to the course since her Tuesday round with Ernie Els was gone when the survivors teed off yesterday amid more subdued, sparse galleries.

"It was more quiet, kind of empty," said David Ishii, who had a ringside seat to Michelle-mania playing in the group in front of her the first two days.

Never mind that Els, the defending champion, was among six golfers bunched within four strokes of third-round leader Harrison Frazar, who shot a 4-under-par 66 to go 14 under for the tournament.

Or that five golfers who had won championships on the course were still in the hunt.

"The galleries were a lot more into her game (Friday)," Els said. 'They were good (yesterday), but maybe not as excited as the other day."

Having seen the buzz that Wie can bring to a tournament and town, especially this one, you can bet that the Sony Open will welcome her back with open arms and a red carpet next year.

Which brings up the question of when will the LPGA get around to bringing in a tournament to showcase Wie, too?

If there is anybody that could use a heaping helping of young star power right now, it is the LPGA. And, as the results of this week underline, if there is a fresh, new face and talent able to supply it, it is Wie.

Somewhere, LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw has to have had a flash of inspiration and visions of endless galleries.

Wie has committed to playing in three LPGA tournaments this year on sponsor's exemptions, but none of them closer to home than Palm Springs.

For a couple of years now, ever since the Takefuji Classic pulled up stakes and the Hawaiian Ladies Open left town, there has been no LPGA tournament here. Nor had the prospects seemed promising. The LPGA has said it is "pursuing a number of options" to bring a tournament back.

After this weekend, if the LPGA is on its game, that "pursuit" should turn into a full-on fast break.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING . . .

Michelle Wie signed an autograph for Mike Ritz of the Golf Channel before giving an interview yesterday. Eric Riserg • The Honolulu Advertiser

"The next time your daughter asks for a Malibu Barbie, tell her, 'She's dead. She drowned.' Malibu Barbie is now floating face down. The meaning of Michelle Wie's performance in the Sony Open is clear: She's the death of girl toys.

"She's also quite possibly the end of school as we know it. These are just some of the conclusions it's tempting to draw after watching Wie, a 14-year-old girl, play hooky and shoot a 68 on Friday to miss the cut in the second event of the PGA Tour season by just a stroke. Another conclusion is that the rules of gender athletic performance must now be reassessed, because we've seen an adolescent girl stripe it 311 yards down the fairway, and roll in 50-foot birdie putts playing against the best male golfers in the world."

"The LPGA has got to be chomping at the bit. She's got star power. She holds her head high. She walks like Seve (Ballesteros) used to, when he was like, 'Watch this next shot. It's going to be the greatest you ever saw.'"

"Wie's performance opened eyes. Her goal is to someday qualify and play on the men's and women's tours, and that certainly does not seem out of the realm of possibility considering how well she played in her first try.

"None of the tour pros were crying that she took a sponsor's exemption away from a more competitive player."

"It was quite an adventure for Wie, an amateur and the first teenage girl to play in a PGA Tour event. What's next? Well, after a couple of days off, it's the start of a new semester at Punahou School and a crack at the physical education class she is dreading because she hates to run.

"For someone who doesn't like to run, that was quite a charge Wie made at the history books."

Statistical Summary

A look at Michelle Wie at the Sony Open in Hawai'i and at Annika Sorenstam at the Bank of America Colonial:

Michelle Wie
Sony Open in Hawai'i
Waialae Country Club
Par 70, 7,060 yards

Jan. 15-16, 2004

• Score: 72-68—140
• Cut: 139
• Driving distance average: 274.1
• Driving accuracy: 67.9 percent
• Greens in regulation: 55.6 percent
• Putts per round: 27.0
• Approach shot distance to pin: 33 feet, 8 inches
• Putts made-distance: 7 feet, 6 inches

Annika Sorenstam
Bank of America Colonial
Colonial Country Club
Par 70, 7,080 yards

May 22-23, 2003

• Score: 71-74i145
• Cut: 141
• Driving distance average: 247.5
• Driving accuracy: 85.7 percent
• Greens in regulation: 66.7 percent
• Putts per round: 32.0
• Approach shot distance to pin: 28 feet, 7 inches
• Putts made-distance: 3 feet, 7 inches