Michelle Wie's 82 in the final round of the U.S. Open was her worst since an opening 85 in the CJ Nine Bridges Classic in 2003. Laura Rauch • Associated Press

• In 1972, University of Hawai'i's Fabulous Five losing its first NCAA basketball appearance, getting crushed by Weber State, 91-64? Pocatello, Idaho, became synonymous with Waterloo in local lore.

• The 1980 Rainbow baseball team, needing just one victory to win the College World Series, dropping back-to-back games to Arizona in the championship round? The 'Bows have never been back.

• The Black Monday in May of the following year when the baseball 'Bows lost a doubleheader to BYU in a rain-delayed playoff for the Western Athletic Conference championship and an outright NCAA bid? What made it doubly painful was that a player from Hawai'i, Radford's Peter Kendrick, pitched and won both games for BYU.

• The UH Rainbow Wahine volleyball team's 31-0 season coming to a jolting end in the 1995 NCAA regional final at home when Michigan State rallied to win after being down two games to none? Bye, bye, final four.

• Local golf's most painful moment when Jackie Pung signed an incorrect scorecard that cost her the 1957 U.S. Women's Open Championship at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.? Her final-round score of 70 was correct but the fourth hole had an incorrect score.

We can now add Michelle Wie's disastrous 11-over-par 82 in the final round of the 60th U.S. Women's Open at the Cherry Hills Country Club, Colo., Sunday.

Seemingly headed to becoming the youngest winner of any professional golf tournament after being tied for first, second and first in the first three rounds, Wie inexplicably shot her worst round since an opening 85 in the CJ Nine Bridges Classic in South Korea in 2003. And Wie's worst round in two appearances in the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawai'i was a 5-over-par 75.

Perhaps pressing too hard, Wie lost her game on the golf course but at least didn't lose her sense of humor: "I definitely have to get a GPS (Global Positioning System) for my ball."

The blown round should be a wake-up call for the 15-year-old phenom. She will definitely learn from the experience and continue to be a contender in her remaining LPGA appearances.

If she hasn't as yet, she now knows "golf is not a game of perfect," no matter how perfect a golf swing. And professional golf isn't all fun and games. It was obvious Wie didn't have much fun on a day that was supposed to be a crowning achievement.

Wilson's big payday

DEAN WILSON

Overlooked was the showing by Kane'ohe native Dean Wilson, who pocketed the largest paycheck of his PGA Tour career ($207,000) by finishing sixth in the Barclays Classic at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y.

Even Wilson was surprised that it was his biggest pay day. He thought his career best finish, a tie for third in last year's Valero Texas Open, was worth more. It was $203,000.

Wilson's biggest paycheck increased his 2005 earnings to $385,059, moving him from 162nd to 109th on the money list. The top 125 gain exempt status for the following year.

"It came at a good time," Wilson said in a telephone interview from Illinois where he's playing in the Cialis Western Open beginning today.

Wilson lost his playing card in 2004 and had to go back to qualifying school where he tied for 13th. That didn't open up too many tournament spots. He has played in 12 so far this year. But his priority status has greatly improved for the next reshuffling of Q-School qualifiers and players from the Nationwide Tour top 20 money list.

"I think I'm pretty good for the rest of the year," said Wilson, who couldn't get into the Booz Allen Classic prior to the U.S. Open. He didn't bother trying to qualify for the U.S. Open because it required him having to go to both the local and sectional stages.

"I played pretty good (at Westchester)," said Wilson, who had rounds of 72-71-66-71 for a 280 total to finish six strokes back of winner Padraig Harrington.

"I made a lot of bogeys in the second round but a double-eagle at the ninth hole made up for it," added Wilson, who holed a 4-iron from 220 yards for his first tour double eagle.

He will be playing in the John Deere Classic next week and is looking forward to seeing how Wie will do against the men.

"I don't know Michelle that well, but it's fine with me that she got a sponsor's exemption. Whatever helps the tournament is fine," said Wilson, who played with Annika Sorenstam in the 2003 Bank of America Colonial.

He'd like nothing better than to make a name for himself by winning his first PGA event.

"My game needs to get a little sharper but things are coming together," Wilson said. "My concern is the money standings so I don't have to worry about being fully exempt."

As for Wie's final round flameout in the Women's Open, Wilson said it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows golf.

"That's just the way the game is. It can happen to anyone. To me, David Ishii. The game can be hard."