Michelle Wie is defending champion of the Women's Amateur Public Links Championships, whose dates coincide with the PGA's Booz Allen Open. Advertiser library photo

However, she has yet to accept or decline, according to an official at Kemper Sports, which runs the $4.8 million event.

The dates of the PGA event also coincides with the Women's Amateur Public Links Championships, where Wie is the defending champion. The PGA event is scheduled for June 24-27. The USGA public links event is set for June 22-27, in Williamsburg, Va.

Steve Lesnik, the chief executive officer of Kemper Sports, which runs the event at the Tournament Players Club at Avenel, told the Sun yesterday that the decision to invite Wie on a sponsor's exemption came in response to her startling performance in the Sony Open in Hawai'i.

Wie, playing on a sponsor's exemption, shot rounds of 72 and 68 for even-par 140. She missed by cut by one shot. She is believed to be the youngest player ever to participate in a PGA Tour event.

Her performance was better than what LPGA star Annika Sorenstam did at the Colonial last May (5-over 145 to miss by four strokes) and superior to what club pro Suzy Whaley did at the Greater Hartford Open in July (13-over 153 to miss by 13 strokes).

"It has been the buzz of the day in the golf industry," Lesnik told the Sun.

Lesnik will try to have one of his representatives extend the invitation to Wie while they are in Hawai'i next week on business for next year’s Maui Invitational basketball tournament.

Wie has committed to play in the Safeway International March 18-21 and the Kraft Nabisco Championships March 25-28.

It was at the Nabisco that Wie shocked the golf world by playing in the final Sunday group after shooting a 6-under 66, tying the record for lowest score by an amateur in an LPGA major.

But "her main focus will be in the major USGA events," her father, BJ, told The Advertiser earlier.

One event that Wie is especially looking forward to is the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

"I think it's a great experience to defend a title. It's going to be awesome," said Wie, who at 13 last summer became the youngest player to win an adult USGA event.

She will play in the U.S. Women's Open the following week in Massachusetts and the U.S. Women's Amateur in Erie, Pa., and possibly the U.S. Junior Girls in Fort Worth, Texas. The U.S. Junior Girls is only tentative, because she'd rather play in the Men's Amateur Public Links days before, if she can qualify.