Sixteen-year-old Tadd Fujikawa, a Moanalua High School junior, hopes to do better than Wie, however. She missed the cut and finished last in Crans-sur-Sierre a year ago.

Fujikawa dazzled the crowds in January with two rounds of 66 in the Sony Open in Hawai'i before finishing 20th.

"I really like it here," Fujikawa said today on the eve of the first round. "The weather is a little cold for me, but the course is nice and it is really an honor to be playing."

Temperatures hovered just above freezing and ski hats were prominent on the course, although warmer weather is predicted.

Fujikawa, who was invited to play by the tournament sponsors, said he had not gotten Wie's advice.

"I don't really know her very well," Fujikawa said. "We see each other once in a while but we never really were, like, friends."

Fujikawa said his main aim was to make the cut, and some other players here may have the same ambition.

Five members of Europe's victorious 2006 Ryder Cup team are at the European Masters, which is the first qualifying event for the 2008 Ryder Cup.

David Howell is still recovering from back problems, Darren Clarke is rusty, Lee Westwood cannot get to grips with his putter, Paul Casey's last round was an 80 and Robert Karlsson is well short of his career-best 2006 form.

After challenging right to the end to win last year's Order of Merit, Howell is 127th this year with three missed cuts in his last five events.

"A win would be lovely but it would be asking a lot," Howell said. "It has been a long time since I played well. A top 10, even a good round, would be great."

Clarke has also had an injury-filled year and began his return last week by finishing tied 56th at the Johnnie Walker Championship.

Westwood, who was ninth last week, won the Andalucia Open in Spain in May.

"The second and third rounds there were the only good putting rounds I've had all year," Westwood said.

Casey finished Sunday at Gleneagles with an 80 after double-bogeys at three of the first five holes.

"I don't know what happened. I didn't play very well last week and I'm not hitting it great this week," Casey said. "But I'm working hard and there is no reason why it can't click quickly."

Karlsson has missed five cuts in his last nine events.

Among the field is Jean Van de Velde, who fell ill at the Portuguese Open late in May but played until the French Open in June before recurring sickness and weakness forced him to stop.

Initial tests failed to produce a diagnosis but his condition was later discovered to have been caused by a mutation of the virus that causes mononucleosis.