Amateurs prove worth

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Michelle Wie said she was not surprised at how well the amateurs did this week at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA's first major of the season.

Amateur Michelle Wie of Honolulu will have another busy summer, playing in three more LPGA majors in June and July. Chris Carlson • Associated Press

"There are a lot of good amateurs," Wie said. "Especially Morgan Pressel — she's playing good — and Jane and Brittany (Lang) and everyone. It's great because we're all going for the same goal and it's fun."

Pressel had a little different take on the amateur onslaught and Wie's role: "She's been given everything and left the rest of us with nothing," Pressel told The Desert Sun (Palm Springs) newspaper. "We actually have to play our way in. We don't have anything handed to us."

This was the first of three consecutive LPGA majors Wie will play. The McDonald's LPGA Championship (June 9 to 12) is next, followed by the U.S. Women's Open (June 23 to 26). After the Evian Masters in France (July 20 to 23), Wie will go to the final major, the Weetabix Women's British Open (July 28 to 31). Her final LPGA tournament this year is the Samsung World Championship in October.

Wie tied for second at her first LPGA tournament this year, the SBS Open at Turtle Bay. She tied for 12th last week at the Safeway International.

The Wies have also put together a tentative plan for Michelle's amateur schedule. She said yesterday she would attempt to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Amateur. The winners of those events are invited to The Masters.

Wie could play in the U.S. Women's Public Links if she doesn't qualify for the open event. As a past champion (2003), she does not need to qualify. The championships are the same week.

She is also trying to arrange a flight from England to the U.S. Women's Amateur, which starts the day after Weetabix.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.