Wie tied for lead

By Pat Rooney
Special to The Honolulu Advertiser

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — Experts and fans alike expected Michelle Wie to make a run at becoming only the second amateur to win the U.S. Women's Open. Few thought Wie would have to fight off another amateur for that honor.

With a focus beyond her 15 years, Honolulu's Michelle Wie has a chance to become only the second amateur to win the U.S. Women's Open. Photos by Chris Carlson • Associated Press

With both Wie and Pressel angling for a major championship as amateurs, today's final round at the Cherry Hills Country Club in suburban Denver is likely to draw a spirited crowd as well as a sizable television audience.

"It is going to attract a lot of attention," Wie said. "I think it just shows how much better amateurs are these days, and you know, it is great to have Morgan in contention tomorrow. But I am really just focused on my game."

Are the teenagers intimidated?

Please.

"I'm baffled by the question," Pressel said. "I've played lots of events. I know how to play golf. People look at age as something that should set me back, but I don't think it does."

Not to be forgotten is 18-year-old Paula Creamer, who last month won her first LPGA title a week before going through high school graduation ceremonies. She bogeyed the last hole for a 72 and was one shot out of the lead, equally poised to take her place in history as the youngest winner of an American major.

"If I'm a veteran, then goodness," Creamer said.

Stupples is 32 — the combined age of Wie and Pressel — but is the only player among the top 10 who knows what it's like to win a major. She captured the Women's British Open last year with an eagle-double eagle start at Sunningdale, and thrust herself into contention yesterday with six straight birdies.

Wie suffered three bogeys in the first eight holes but minimized the damage by making birdies on Nos. 5 and 7. Following a bogey on the par-3 eighth, she was a model of consistency, saving par on eight of the final 10 holes.

Wie, who was followed by the day's largest gallery, made her final birdie on the 522-yard, par-5 11th hole, launching a monstrous tee shot with her driver before using a deft chip shot to set up an easy birdie putt.

Wie had the lead to herself until the 16th hole, where she drove into the rough, knocked it over the green into more rough and wound up with a bogey. She parred the final two holes to stay in a tie.

Wie's consistency was even more stunning considering what the other leaders suffered through yesterday.

Nicole Perrot, Wie's playing partner and the second-round leader, shot 78 to fall into 12th.

Lorena Ochoa, who entered the third round tied for second with Wie, shot 77 to fall to 16th.

Annika Sorenstam's chances of winning the third leg of the Grand Slam took yet another hit when she fired a 2-over 73, leaving her five shots back.

Michelle Wie tries to power out of the deep rough on the 16th, where she had the lead outright before taking bogey to fall into a tie.s

Koreans Birdie Kim and Young Jo each are one shot back of the leaders.

Wie will tee off at 7:50 a.m. Hawai'i time today in the next-to-last group with Kim. Pressel and Stupples play in the final group.

"My goal at the beginning of the week was to shoot consistent under-par rounds and by now I haven't really achieved that goal," said Wie, who shot 69 Thursday and 73 Friday. "So I have readjusted myself and hopefully I will shoot under par (today) so at least two days I will shoot under par instead of four."

She'll be taking aim at Catherine Lacoste, the only amateur ever to win the tournament.

When asked if she had ever heard of Lacoste, Wie showed that her knowledge of the game wasn't limited to the golf course.

"I actually do," she said. "I was watching Golf Channel trivia — it pays to watch that sometimes. She was the only amateur to win the U.S. Open. It was in 1967."

The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.