Romeo Manapat wished 16-year-old Michelle Wie had settled for an eagle putt rather than an aggressive chip shot on the 18th hole of the Kraft Nabisco Championship yesterday in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Wie's club selection on the 18th yesterday drew mixed reaction from Manapat and other Hawai'i golfers, who watched the Honolulu teen at the Pearl Country Club, one of her practice sites.

"I guess it comes with experience," said Manapat, who lives in Kapahulu.

Entering the par-5 18th hole, Wie needed an eagle to win or a birdie to force a playoff. Wie got to within 25 feet of the hole for an eagle, but her chip from just off the green rolled 10 feet past, and her birdie putt just missed, leaving her with a par, and her sixth top-three finish in her past nine starts.

"I was thinking I could make it," Wie told The Associated Press of the chip. "And if I didn't make it, birdie. Unfortunately, it got away from me. I guess it wasn't meant to be."

Wie, playing in her first major as a professional, shot an 8-under 280 and finished tied for third with Natalie Gulbis. Both earned $108,222.

It was another close finish for the Punahou School junior, who missed her second consecutive playoff by one stroke. Wie finished third in her last tournament, the Fields Open at the Ko Olina Golf Club in February.

"I would have preferred if she would have gone with the putter (on the eagle attempt), and have the caddy remind her to lag it close to the hole," said Manapat, who was one of more than 50 people watching inside and outside the Pearl Country Club restaurant. "But if the chip went in, it would have been great."

Wade Takahashi, of Waipahu, said Wie had her reasons for choosing the chip shot. Wie told the AP she was thinking only about winning.

"She probably thought the chip was the best," said Takahashi, 32. "She's a professional now. Most professionals should get up and down from there.

"I probably would have chipped it," Takahashi added. "But we don't know what it looked like. It's hard to say."

Edwin Mitsuda, of Kahalu'u, said he believed Wie felt "more comfortable with chipping."

"A few more putts, if it went the right way, she would have won," Mitsuda said.

"The professionals hit so many balls around the green," 'Ewa Beach's Walter Omoto said. "That's their bread and butter. Rather than putt it, I think she did the right thing."

Omoto, 68, said he was proud of Wie. If not for her, Omoto said he would not watch the LPGA as much as he does.

"I probably wouldn't have gone to Ko Olina, or watch the LPGA," Omoto said. "She's somebody connected to Hawai'i — like Hale Irwin and Dean Wilson. I like that."

Karrie Webb won the tournament yesterday in a playoff over Lorena Ochoa. Webb won $270,000; Ochoa won $168,226.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.