Posted on: Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Wie ready to test skills against Sony Open field
| • | Goosen, Chun capture pro-junior tournament |
| • | Wilson drops down Sony's list |
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer
It is semester exam time at Punahou School this week and its most-celebrated 10th-grader was a long way from the classroom as the Titleist flies yesterday.
Ronen Zilberman • Associated Press While they are studying history, she is taking dead aim at making it this week in the Sony Open in Hawai'i. With the golf world watching, this most precocious of 15-year-olds is hoping to become the first female in 60 years to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.
Never mind that tournament play doesn't begin until tomorrow, the Week of Wie has begun with suitable fanfare and following. An unheard of Tuesday gallery — 100 or more lining the ninth hole alone — showed up to begin gauging her chances in the quest.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser It was all Wie all day with a well-packed press conference and more fans showing up in the afternoon to watch her Pro Junior Golf Challenge pairing with actor Adam Sandler.
The solo press conference was a reminder of just how big this Wie phenomenon has become since she last trod this course and how much she has taken and run with the role of youthful trailblazer. Last year she shared the pre-tourney podium with Els, often taking her cues from the 15-time winner on the PGA Tour.
This time she confidently held court in an interview room that was filled to capacity a half hour before her arrival. One official bringing in extra chairs noted dryly, the room wasn't "designed for a 15-year-old's" following.
Els, the defending champion, will have his media session today but the questions of the moment surround Wie, who shot an even-par 140 last year to miss the cut by one stroke, and whether she is primed to crash through the barrier this time.
A Sony Open in Hawai'i 12-page special section, complete with features, a course layout, hole-by-hole description, record book, parking and bus information. Making the cut in this first full-field event of the PGA Tour season would definitely be a statement-making step there. Two men who covered the 18-hole practice round with Wie yesterday say her game has never been better. "A year in a 15-year-old's life is quite a bit of time," said David Leadbetter, her swing guru. "(She's) a more complete player with a lot of shots. Her short game is vastly improved, she's thinking better. She's just a more mature player."
Said Els: "She's done a lot of work on her game and her mental game is very good, too. So, you can look for some good things from her this week. She's done her homework."
Now, removed from campus and in her own way, it is test time.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
While her classmates were conjugating Japanese verbs, wrestling with conceptual physics, the finer points of art and what she termed, "all that other stuff," Michelle Wie spent the day in a 1-over-par 71 practice round boning up for a whole different test at Waialae Country Club.
"The Big Wiesy" (Michelle Wie) and "The Big Easy" (Ernie Els) are mirror images on the putting practice green at Waialae Country Club.
"I always wanted to be known as doing stuff that no one ever thought of," says Michelle Wie, who will try to make the cut at the Sony Open in Hawai'i. "I just want to push myself to the limit."
information.
"I hadn't seen this much of a gallery even last week," said Ernie Els, a playing partner for the day, who tied for third in the Mercedes Championships at Kapalua on Maui.
Clearly, it is a challenge she relishes taking head on. "I always wanted to be known as someone who did crazy stuff, like stuff that's never (been done)," Wie said. "I always wanted to be known as doing stuff that no one ever thought of. I just want to push myself to the limit. I want to be known as (a person) that changed the world and that changed how people think."
TODAY
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| SONY OPEN
WHAT: First full-field PGA Tour event of 2005 WHEN: Tomorrow through Sunday. From 7 a.m. tomorrow and Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday WHERE: Waialae Country Club (Par 35-35i70, 7,068 yards) PURSE: $4.8 million ($864,000 first prize) FIELD: 144 players, including defending champion Ernie Els and 2004 PGA Tour money leader Vijay Singh ADMISSION: $15 daily or $50 for season (all week) badge. Children 12-under free with ticket-bearing adult. TV: ESPN, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday SCHEDULE Today — 6:50 a.m. (all day) — Sony Open in Hawai'i pro-am; 12:30 p.m. — Satellite Pro-Am, Pearl Country Club Tomorrow — 7 a.m. (all day) — First round (ESPN 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.); 6 p.m. — Official Pro-Am awards celebration Friday — 7 a.m. (all day) — Second round (ESPN 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Saturday — 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — Third round (ESPN 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) Sunday — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Final round (ESPN 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.); 5:15 p.m. — Million Dollar Shot Finals, 18th hole TEE TIMES Tomorrow First tee—7:20 a.m.: Cameron Beckman, John Riegger, Paul Casey. 7:29 a.m.: Jesper Parnevik, Arron Oberholser, Todd Fischer. 7:38 a.m.: Matt Gogel, Briny Baird, Steve Allan. 7:47 a.m.: Zach Johnson, Frank Lickliter II, Jerry Kelly. 7:56 a.m.: Ryan Palmer, Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk. 8:05 a.m.: Vijay Singh, Jonathan Byrd, Craig Stadler. 8:14 a.m.: Bart Bryant, Corey Pavin, Len Mattiace. 8:23 a.m.: John Rollins, Pat Perez, Brian Bateman. 8:32 a.m.: Luke Donald, Duffy Waldorf, Harrison Frazar. 8:41 a.m.: Charles Warren, Greg Owen, Chris Tidland. 8:50 a.m.: Jason Bohn, D.J. Brigman, Takashi Kamiyama. 8:59 a.m.: Paul Claxton, Rob Rashell, Jonathan Mathias (a). 11:45 a.m.: Scott Simpson, Tom Kite, Tim Petrovic. 11:54 a.m.: Paul Azinger, Ted Purdy, Daniel Chopra. 12:03 p.m.: Chris Riley, Spike McRoy, Patrick Sheehan. 12:12 p.m.: Retief Goosen, Mark Hensby, John Huston. 12:21 p.m.: David Toms, Craig Parry, Loren Roberts. 12:30 p.m.: Adam Scott, John Cook, Steve Jones. 12:39 p.m.: Charles Howell III, Rich Beem, Craig Perks. 12:48 p.m.: Dudley Hart, Franklin Langham, Thomas Levet. 12:57 p.m.: Jeff Maggert, Geoff Ogilvy, Hank Kuehne. 1:06 p.m.: D.A. Points, Jason Allred, Toru Taniguchi. 1:15 p.m.: D.J. Trahan, Sean O'Hair, Kevin Carll. 1:24 p.m.: Jimmy Walker, Nick Watney, Hideki Kase. 10th tee—7:20 a.m.: Robert Allenby, Joe Durant, Danny Briggs. 7:29 a.m.: Bernhard Langer, Brett Quigley, Peter Lonard. 7:38 a.m.: Chris Smith, Robert Gamez, Sean Murphy. 7:47 a.m.: Ernie Els, Steven Flesch, Brad Faxon. 7:56 a.m.: Heath Slocum, Kirk Triplett, Shaun Micheel. 8:05 a.m.: Fred Funk, Jonathan Kaye, Rory Sabbatini. 8:14 a.m.: Vaughn Taylor, Carloes Franco, Tommy Armour III. 8:23 a.m.: Brian Gay, Hidemichi Tanaka, John Senden. 8:32 a.m.: Tom Pernice Jr., Larry Mize, Ian Poulter. 8:41 a.m.: Paul Gow, Dick Mast, Greg Meyer. 8:50 a.m.: Kevin Stadler, Euan Walters, Toshi Izawa. 8:59 a.m.: Brett Wetterich, Matt Davidson, Michelle Wie (a). 11:45 a.m.: Tom Byrum, Skip Kendall, Omar Uresti. 11:54 a.m.: Billy Mayfair, Bo Van Pelt, Michael Allen. 12:03 p.m.: John Morse, Bradley Hughes, Tag Ridings. 12:12 p.m.: Brent Geiberger, Chad Campbell, Shigeki Maruyama. 12:21 p.m.: Andre Stolz, Rod Pampling, Ben Crane. 12:30 p.m.: Peter Jacobsen, Jeff Sluman, Tom Lehman. 12:39 p.m.: Woody Austin, Todd Hamilton, Tim Herron. 12:48 p.m.: Joe Ogilvie, Aaron Baddeley, Kevin Na. 12:57 p.m.: Bob Estes, Justin Rose, Andrew Magee. 1:06 p.m.: John Elliott, James Driscoll, David Ishii. 1:15 p.m.: Brian Davis, Hideto Tanihara, Brendan Jones. 1:24 p.m.: Ryuji Imada, Justin Bollit, John Lynch. Friday First tee—7:20 a.m.: Tom Byrum, Skip Kendall, Omar Uresti. 7:29 a.m.: Billy Mayfair, Bo Van Pelt, Michael Allen. 7:38 a.m.: John Morse, Bradley Hughes, Tag Ridings. 7:47 a.m.: Brent Geiberger, Chad Campbell, Shigeki Maruyama. 7:56 a.m.: Andre Stolz, Rod Pampling, Ben Crane. 8:05 a.m.: Peter Jacobsen, Jeff Sluman, Tom Lehman. 8:14 a.m.: Woody Austin, Todd Hamilton, Tim Herron. 8:23 a.m.: Joe Ogilvie, Aaron Baddeley, Kevin Na. 8:32 a.m.: Bob Estes, Justin Rose, Andrew Magee. 8:41 a.m.: John Elliott, James Driscoll, David Ishii. 8:50 a.m.: Brian Davis, Hideto Tanihara, Brendan Jones. 8:59 a.m.: Ryuji Imada, Justin Bollit, John Lynch. 11:45 a.m. Robert Allenby, Joe Durant, Danny Briggs. 11:54 a.m.: Bernhard Langer, Brett Quigley, Peter Lonard. 12:03 p.m.: Chris Smith, Robert Gamez, Sean Murphy. 12:12 p.m.: Ernie Els, Steven Flesch, Brad Faxon. 12:21 p.m.: Heath Slocum, Kirk Triplett, Shaun Micheel. 12:30 p.m.: Fred Funk, Jonathan Kaye, Rory Sabbatini. 12:39 p.m.: Vaughn Taylor, Carloes Franco, Tommy Armour III. 12:48 p.m.: Brian Gay, Hidemichi Tanaka, John Senden. 12:57 p.m.: Tom Pernice Jr., Larry Mize, Ian Poulter. 1:06 p.m.: Paul Gow, Dick Mast, Greg Meyer. 1:15 p.m.: Kevin Stadler, Euan Walters, Toshi Izawa. 1:24 p.m.: Brett Wetterich, Matt Davidson, Michelle Wie (a). 10th tee—7:20 a.m.: Scott Simpson, Tom Kite, Tim Petrovic. 7:29 a.m.: Paul Azinger, Ted Purdy, Daniel Chopra. 7:38 a.m.: Chris Riley, Spike McRoy, Patrick Sheehan. 7:47 a.m.: Retief Goosen, Mark Hensby, John Huston. 7:56 a.m.: David Toms, Craig Parry, Loren Roberts. 8:05 a.m.: Adam Scott, John Cook, Steve Jones. 8:14 a.m.: Charles Howell III, Rich Beem, Craig Perks. 8:23 a.m.: Dudley Hart, Franklin Langham, Thomas Levet. 8:32 a.m.: Jeff Maggert, Geoff Ogilvy, Hank Kuehne. 8:41 a.m.: D.A. Points, Jason Allred, Toru Taniguchi. 8:50 a.m.: D.J. Trahan, Sean O'Hair, Kevin Carll. 8:59 a.m.: Jimmy Walker, Nick Watney, Hideki Kase. 11:45 a.m.: Cameron Beckman, John Riegger, Paul Casey. 11:54 a.m.: Jesper Parnevik, Arron Oberholser, Todd Fischer. 12:03 p.m.: Matt Gogel, Briny Baird, Steve Allan. 12:12 p.m.: Zach Johnson, Frank Lickliter II, Jerry Kelly. 12:21 p.m.: Ryan Palmer, Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk. 12:30 p.m.: Vijay Singh, Jonathan Byrd, Craig Stadler. 12:39 p.m.: Bart Bryant, Corey Pavin, Len Mattiace. 12:48 p.m.: John Rollins, Pat Perez, Brian Bateman. 12:57 p.m.: Luke Donald, Duffy Waldorf, Harrison Frazar. 1:06 p.m.: Charles Warren, Greg Owen, Chris Tidland. 1:15 p.m.: Jason Bohn, D.J. Brigman, Takashi Kamiyama. 1:24 p.m.: Paul Claxton, Rob Rashell, Jonathan Mathias (a). |
