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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, February 24, 2006

Wie 3 back after 67; tied for fifth

 •  LPGA stumbles out of block

Advertiser Staff

Michelle Wie's post-round news conference was sparsely attended because of a dispute between the LPGA and media outlets.

GREGORY YAMAMOTO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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FIELDS OPEN IN HAWAI'I

WHAT: LPGA tournament

WHEN: 7:15 a.m. today

WHERE: Ko Olina Golf Club (Par 72, 6,496 yards)

TICKETS: $10 daily; $25 tournament pass. Parking free with shuttle

TV: The Golf Channel, 1:30 to 4 p.m. HST

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KAPOLEI — An approach shot with a mind of its own jump-started Michelle Wie's golf game yesterday at the Fields Open in Hawai'i. Wie, 16, opened with a 5-under-par 67 and is three shots out of first.

She birdied the first hole from 8 feet, then parred her way to the par-5 fifth. From less than 100 yards, Wie's third shot sailed over the pin. The ball bounced on the green and splashed into a "fried-egg" lie in the back bunker, leading to bogey.

"It was weird," the Punahou junior said as she walked across the Ko Olina Golf Club parking lot. "It was like, 'What happened with that shot?' When I hit it, it was like 'Oh my God this is going to be perfect.' I hit it right where I wanted to and then it just didn't come down."

Wie immediately rallied. She birdied three of the next four holes — all from within 12 feet — to make the turn in 3-under, and played a bogey-free back nine with birdies at Nos. 11 and 14.

This is Wie's 26th LPGA start, but only her second as a pro. She is not an LPGA member and is seeking her first golf paycheck on a sponsor's exemption.

Wie teed off just before 8 a.m. with a gallery of some 200. That doubled by the time she made the turn and kept growing as she moved further under par.

NOTES

Tarah-Anne Abrigo, 8, of 'Ewa Beach, got her father, Joe, to let her follow her favorite golfer, Michelle Wie, then got quite a souvenir.

On the way to the seventh hole, Wie handed the youngster, wearing a badge that read "Imua Michelle," a golf ball.

"She was very excited because she really likes Michelle," Joe said.

  • After being disqualified over a controversial ball drop in the Samsung World Championship in her last LPGA appearance, Wie wasn't taking chances yesterday.

    On the first hole of her opening round of the Field Open, Wie's second shot landed outside the ropes adjacent to the cart path curb.

    She asked for a ruling before picking up the ball. "I was very nervous when I picked up that ball," Wie said. "That (Samsung) was in the back of my mind. I didn't want to pick up the ball without asking first."

  • Swiss watchmaker Omega announced an endorsement agreement with Wie. She joins golfers Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi with Omega and will wear the "Speedmaster" in tournaments.

    FIELDS OPEN IN HAWAI'I

    TEE TIMES
    Today's starting times
    Second Round
    At Ko Olina Golf Course
    First Tee

    7:15 a.m.—Katie Futcher, Alena Sharp, Patricia Baxter-Johnson. 7:26—Jee Young Lee, Miriam Nagl, Becky Morgan. 7:37—Amy Hung, Yu Ping Lin, Jessica Reese-Quayle. 7:48—Joanne Morley, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, Kyeong Bae. 7:59—Christi Cano, Na Ri Kim, Siew-Ai Lim. 8:10—Mikaela Parmlid, Becky Iverson, Shiho Ohyama. 8:21—Mi Hyun Kim, Joo Mi Kim, Young Kim. 8:32—Soo-Yun Kang, Pat Hurst, Michelle McGann. 8:43—Stacy Prammanasudh, Jamie Hullett, Aree Song. 8:54—Dawn Coe-Jones, Heather Daly-Donofrio, Chris Johnson. 9:05—Laura Davies, Catriona Matthew, Meena Lee. 11:45—Natalie Gulbis, Shi Hyun Ahn, Paula Creamer. 11:56—Grace Park, Wendy Ward, Sherri Steinhauer. 12:07 p.m.—Lorena Ochoa, Christina Kim, Sung Ah Yim. 12:18—Dorothy Delasin, Liselotte Naumann, Heather Young. 12:29—AJ Eathorne, Jeong Jang, Angela Stanford. 12:40—Yumiko Baba, Hilary Lunke, Kris Tschetter. 12:51—Soo Young Moon, Michelle Estill, Catherine Cartwright. 1:02—Seon Hwa Lee, Suzann Pettersen, Marcy Hart. 1:13—Jackie Gallogher-Smith, Kate Golden, Nadina Light. 1:24—Diana D'Alessio, Karin Sjodin, Riko Higashio. 1:35—Jean Bartholomew, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, Diana Ramage.
    10th Tee
    7:15 a.m.—Giulia Sergas, Allison Hanna, Brittany Lincicome. 7:26—Emily Bastel, Stephanie Louden, Hiromi Mogi. 7:37—Nancy Scranton, Louise Stahle, Yukari Baba. 7:48—Libby Smith, Michiko Hattori, Angie Rizzo. 7:59—Lee Ann Walker-Cooper, Brooke Tull, Nina Reis. 8:10—Natalie Tucker, Candy Hannemann, Sun Young Yoo. 8:21—Karine Icher, Cristie Kerr, Reilley Rankin. 8:32—Moira Dunn, Helen Alfredsson, Katherine Hull. 8:43—Karrie Webb, Marisa Baena, Carin Koch. 8:54—Michele Redman, Janice Moodie, Leta Lindley. 9:05—Jimin Kang, Maria Hjorth, Karen Stupples. 11:45—Johanna Head, Lindsey Wright, Hee-Won Han. 11:56—Rachel Hetherington, Silvia Cavolleri, Jill McGill. 12:07 p.m.—Juli Inkster, Sophie Gustafson, Patty Sheehan. 12:18—Lorie Kane, Nicole Perrot, Tina Barrett. 12:29—Il Mi Chung, Danielle Ammaccapane, Beth Bader. 12:40—Seol-An Jeon, Kim Williams, Sae-Hee Son. 12:51—Sarah Lee, Ashli Bunch, Nicole Castrale. 1:02—Meredith Duncan, Cindy Rarick, Sherri Turner. 1:13—Sakura Yokomine, Minea Blomqvist, Michelle Wie. 1:24—Shinobu Moromizato, Morgan Pressel, Julieta Granada. 1:35—Virada Nirapathpongporn, Ai Miyazato, Brittany Lang.