Michelle Wie Blog

How many times do you see professional golfers card quintuple bogies? Hell, we all can do that.

It happened today to 18 year old Michelle Wie on the 9th hole causing her to basically drop out of contention for even making the cut at the US women’s open.

With her wrist injuries seemingly behind her, Michelle’s confidence was high going into the tournament - if it weren’t for that darn 9th hole.

She pulled her tee shot into the right rough, then tried to hit a low approach through the trees to an elevated green. The shot came up about 30 yards short, and she bladed her wedge over the green, facing a steep, downhill chip.

She tried a flop shot, but it came up inches short of the fringe. Using a putter for her fifth shot, the ball bounced out quickly, rolled down the ridge and off the green.

Her chip reached the top of the slope, then trickled back to her feet as she turned away before it stopped rolling. Her seventh shot made it up the ridge to 5 feet behind the hole, but she missed the putt.

This round was reminiscent of a year ago when Michelle shot a 42 in her last nine holes at the Women’s Open. She then withdrew from the tournament at the half way mark of the second round.

Perhaps a blistering round of 62 on Friday will put her back in contention. Stranger things have happened. Like Rocco Mediate staying with Tiger Woods for 91 holes recently!

It was not that long ago that Michelle Wie was destined to follow in the footsteps of Tiger Woods. Turning pro at 16, Michelle was the prodigal daughter that was supposed to take the LPGA to new heights. In fact, we thought we all would see her competing against the men and making her name known on the PGA tour.

Alas, none of that has happened. In an age where Tiger Woods can win a tournament with a fractured leg, Michelle can’t seem to win one in any condition.

From heat exhaustion to an injured wrist, Michelle has had a rough time of it the last couple years.

But as the US Women’s Open begins this week, Michelle will undoubtedly be one of the favorites for fans.

What is it about Michelle that people are drawn to?

Is it that her unflappable confidence off the course just mesmerizes people into thinking that she is still a major force to contend with? Or is it her long legs and good looks and pretty swing that have us tuned in and waiting for her to win one?

Paula Creamer, Annika and Ochoa have just been going about the business of winning tournaments during all the hype. The women’s US Open should have its share of drama.

Maybe not as much as the men’s US Open recently, but drama there will be, good or bad. And if Michelle can pull off a win in the Open, she will fill the void ( at least temporarily) of an ailing Tiger. But even if she wins this one, she has a long way to go to catch up with the Big T.

Ten-year-old Allisen Corpuz of Kapolei, Hawaii, shot a 15-over-par 88 in the second round of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship on Tuesday.

Her two-day total of 169 was nine strokes over the 160 cut for the 64 golfers advancing to match play, but it was sensational for a girl who stands a mere 5-feet tall and weighs in at 111 pounds.

“It was nice,” the shy, soft-spoken golfer with the long ponytail said of her debut in national championship golf.”

In the first round Monday at the par-73 Erin Hills Golf Course, she became the youngest player to compete in a U.S. Golf Association championship at the age of 10 years, three months. She swiped the honour from another golfing phenom from Hawaii, Michelle Wie, who in 2000 was 10 years, nine months when she played in the same tournament.

Her college-age playing partners for two days also failed to make the cut. Molly Schemm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison had a 166 total and Mallory Fraiche of the University of Arkansas 167.

Allisen hit mostly straight 200-yard tee shots and consistently long 3-woods to give herself a chance but struggled with her short game. Despite a slew of missed putts and bogeys, however, she never lost her composure.

Asked who taught her to stay calm, she quietly replied, “My dad.”

Marcos Corpuz followed his daughter both days even though he admitted for him “it’s nerve-racking.”

Corpuz let Allisen begin playing when she was four because his daughter kept begging him.

“She was always saying she wanted to play with me and her brother (George). I finally let her,” Corpuz said.

In six brief years Allisen has become the latest in a series of talented female prodigies to wow the golf world. Many of the young stars made their first big splash in the Public Links.

Wie won the tournament in 2003 at age 13 and a year later 15-year-old Yani Tseng of Taiwan beat Wie for the title. Earlier this month, Yani, now 19, became the youngest golfer to win the LPGA Championship. And Mina Harigage of Monterey, Calif. was only 17 when she won the Public Links last year.

Harigage had hoped to become the first golfer since Pearl Sinn in 1988-89 to win back-to-back titles. But she shot an 81 Tuesday to finish at 161, one stroke too many to qualify for match play.

“I’m disappointed,” Harigage said. “I just didn’t putt well.”

It was the first time a defending champion failed to advance to match play the following year.

Catherine Allen of Bellingham, Wash., was the oldest player in a field of 156 competitors whose age averaged 19.38 years. But at age 48, she loved the chance to compete against the youngsters, even golfers not yet in their teens.

“I was a middle school teacher so it’s like having my kids back. I love kids. They are so good and I am having so much fun,” said Allen, who had rounds of 81 to miss a spot in match play.