Wie wins twice, gains Publinx quarterfinals

By Arthur Utley
Special to The Advertiser

Defending champion Michelle Wie beat Melissa Martin, 3 and 1, in the round of 32s, then defeated Curtis Cup teammate Jane Park, 2 and 1, in the round of 16s. Associated Press

Yesterday, the roomies had to decide which one was the better player for a day when they squared off in the round of 16 at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship on the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club's Green Course.

It was Wie.

With the match all-square after 13 holes, Wie birdied three of the next four holes to win 2 and 1 and advance.

The quarterfinals are today, and if Wie wins, she will play in the semifinals, also today.

Wie, 14, and Park, 17, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., knew each other before their Curtis Cup experience, but staying up late or playing cards in the locker room brought them closer.

"I know her non-golf side. I know her off the golf course and I know her in the hotel room with me. We're very, very good friends," Park said.

They teed it up after a rain and lightning delay that lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes.

Wie, the Publinx defending champion, earned her spot in the match with a 3 and 1 decision over Melissa Martin of Altadena, Calif., in the round of 32 that saw the other two Hawai'i golfers — Stephanie Kono and Lehua Wise — eliminated.

Park, runner-up in the U.S. Women's Amateur last year, thumped Kristen Campos of Mesa, Ariz., 5 and 3, to advance.

Wie and Park didn't want to play each other.

"She's such a good player and good friend," Wie said. "It's always easier to be mentally tougher when you don't know the person. It was really tough on me. It was like 'I really like you, but I have to beat you.'"

Wie slept for part of the rain delay, then never trailed in the match. She made key birdie putts on the seventh, 14th and 17th holes.

"It was a constant battle to the end. I got some birdies. I got it done," Wie said.

Following the match, they giggled their way through a joint press conference.

Wie is the lone member of the Hawai'i contingent still playing.

Kono, 14, of Honolulu, and Wise, 18, of Lihu'e, Kaua'i, were bounced in the second round by well-credentialed players.

Kono, the tournament's fourth seed, fell to Hannah Jun, of San Diego, Calif., 2 and 1. Jun is a member of the NCAA champion UCLA Bruins.

Jun won the first hole with a par and never trailed in the match.

She also won the fifth and sixth holes with pars.

Kono won the seventh with a birdie but fell 3-down again when Jun birdied the 11th. Kono sandwiched victorious holes (14th and 16th) around a Jun birdie (15th).

The match ended with a halve on the 17th.

Jun later advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7 and 6 victory over Ko-Chen Yeh.

Jun will play the winner of the darkness-halted match between Ya-Ni Tseng and Ashley Grier, who have played 20 holes.

Wise lost to another Park, In-Bee, 15, of Eustis, Fla., 4 and 3.

In-Bee Park won the 2002 U.S. Junior Girls title and was runner-up in last year's Junior Girls.

She also was a U.S. Women's Amateur semifinalist a year ago.

"I knew I'd have to play really, really well. I thought I'd have to make 10 birdies," Wise said.

Wise finished the 15 holes 1-under, but it didn't matter.

"I made three bogeys, and you can't make any against her," Wise said.

"She doesn't make any mistakes."

In-Bee Park meets qualifying medalist Brittany Lang in the quarterfinals. The other quarterfinal pits Nara Shin against Angela Park.

Kelly Jacques of Longmont, Colo., whose parents, Dean and Julie, lived in Honolulu for a while, was eliminated by Ya-Ni Tseng 4 and 2.

Arthur Utley is a reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

U.S. Women's AMATEUR Public Links Championship

Yesterday's

Round of 32

• Stephanie Kono, Honolulu, lost 2 and 1, to Hannah Jun, San Diego.
• Lehua Wise, Lihu'e, Kaua'i, lost 4 and 3, to In-Bee Park, Eustis, Fla.
• Michelle Wie, Honolulu, def. Melissa Martin, Altadena, Calif., 3 and 1.

Yesterday's

Round of 16

• Wie, Honolulu, def. Jane Park, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 2 and 1.

Today's quarterfinal

• Wie vs. Jenna Pearson, Wheaton, Ill.

Yesterday's match-play capsules

• Kono vs. Hannah: Kono never led. A bogey on the first hole put her 1-down. Bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes put her 3-down.
• Wise vs. Park: Wise never led after bogeying the first hole. Bogeys on the third and fifth holes put her 3-down.
• Wie vs. Martin: Went 2-up on birdies on the first two holes, went 1-down after seven, and went ahead for good with a par on No. 13.
• Wie vs. Park: After being all-square after 13 holes, Wie had three birdies (on a par 4, par 5 and par 3) over the next four holes to close out the match on the 17th.