While Michelle Wie is back at the spectacular site of some of her greatest golf success this week in France, Tadd Fujikawa has touched down in Nebraska where he is playing the Nationwide Tour's Cox Classic Presented by Lexus of Omaha.

With France 12 hours ahead of Hawai'i, Wie teed off — with Cristie Kerr and Gwladys Nocera — just after 11 last night in the $3.25 million Evian Masters.

Wie finished second at Evian-les-Baines in 2005 and 2006. The tournament will be broadcast on The Golf Channel from 12:30 p.m. today and tomorrow and 7 a.m. on the weekend.

Wie will also play in the Ricoh Women's British Open, the final major of the year, next week at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England.

Fujikawa, the other Hawai'i teenager taking on a pro tour, is playing a Nationwide event for the first time in nearly two years. It is his first start in any tournament since he won the Kahili Maui Open six weeks ago. Fujikawa made his first cut as a pro this year and has collected nearly $80,000.

He tees off in the $725,000 Cox Classic today at 9:15 a.m. HST. Golf Channel broadcasts begin at 6:30 a.m. today and tomorrow, 12:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

Next week, Fujikawa will tee off in the Japan Golf Tour Organization's Sun Chlorella Classic in Hokkaido, for the second straight year. He hosts his March of Dimes Tadd Fujikawa Classic Aug. 5, then plays twice on the European Tour. Fujikawa has accepted invitations to the KLM Open, in Zandvoort, Netherlands, Aug. 20 to 23, and the Omega European Masters, Sept. 3 to 6, in Switzerland.

He is planning to try the PGA Tour Qualifying School later this year.

JUNIOR AMATEUR

KIM ADVANCES

Big Island native Kimberly Kim advanced while two other Hawai'i golfers were eliminated in the first round of match play at the U.S. Girls' Junior Amateur Championship yesterday at Bedminster N.J.

Kim, who now lives in Arizona, defeated Kyle Roig, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., 3 and 2, at the Trump National Golf Club.

Victoria Tanco of Argentina defeated Alina Ching of Honolulu, 7 and 6, while Haley Andreas of Pacific Grove, Calif., defeated Casey Isagawa of Wailuku, Maui, 2 up.

Kim faces Kristen Park of Buena Park, Calif., in the second round this morning. The third round (round of 16) also will be played today.

The 36-hole final in the tournament for amateur girls under 18 years old is Saturday.

STROKE PLAY

TOP FIELD ENTERED

Kristina Merkle, Cyd Okino, Anna Jang and former champions Katie Sisler and Xyra Suyetsugu are entered in the Hawai'i State Women's Golf Association Stroke Play Championship. The 54-hole tournament begins Tuesday at 9 a.m. at Mid-Pacific Country Club.

It is the first time Merkle, heading for Tulsa this fall, has entered Stroke Play. The Moanalua High graduate has won the Jennie K. championship three of the past four years at Mid-Pacific.

Suyetsugu, a Roosevelt and University of Hawai'i graduate, beat Merkle by a shot for the 2008 Jennie K. title. She captured State Stroke Play a year earlier.

Last year Sisler, who just finished her sophomore year at UC Davis, won the Stroke Play title by two shots over Miki Ueoka and Hayley Young, who has finished second the past two years.

The final major of the year, the HSWGA State Match Play, will be Aug. 12 to 14 at Oahu Country Club. Entries are still open for women with a handicap index of 14.9 or less. Forms are available at http://www.hswga.org or by calling 262-2428.

Entries close Aug. 5 for the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur qualifier, Aug. 22 at Dunes at Maui Lani. The national tournament will be Oct. 3 to 8 at Ocala, Fla. Forms are at http://www.usga.org.

'BIG I' TOURNEY

MIN, KEILEY PREVAIL

Hilo's Ciera Min and Justin Keiley of Haiku earned the Hawai'i slots for the "Big I" tournament earlier this month at the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association State Championship at Club at Hokuli'a.

Min shot 3-under 69 and Keiley 68. Only the score from the final day of the 36-hole state tournament was used for the "Big I" qualifier.

The National Trusted Big I Championship starts Sunday at Dornick Hills Country Club, in Ardmore, Okla.

Min and Keiley also won their age divisions in the King Auto Group Hawai'i State Junior Championship. Min (83-69) captured the girls 13-14 by nine shots over Allisen Corpuz and Keiley (71-68) took the boys 15-18 division by four shots over Brett Komoto and five over Bradley Shigezawa.

Other winners were Richard Hattori (76-78), by a shot over Landon Johnson, in boys 13-14 and Cassy Isagawa (73-72), who won girls 15-18 by three shots over Kristina Merkle. Alina Ching and Marissa Chow tied for third.