Michelle Wie proves to be a strong player at Bay Mills Open

Bay Mills News, Aug. 28, 2003

BRIMLEY, Mich. — She may not have made the cut at the Bay Mills Open, but 13-year old Honolulu native Michelle Wie made her mark on the Wild Bluff Golf Course.

Wie loomed large over the qualifying rounds of the tournament, drawing curious spectators and national media alike. She arrived in Bay Mills on August 18, taking the opportunity to practice and see some of the area attractions.

“Everyone has been really nice,” Wie said on August 20. “I feel like I belong here.”

Wie said that she liked the lakes and loved Mackinac Island. However, on a shopping trip over to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Wie said that she and her family were held up briefly at the border due to confusion over what they needed for proper identification.

However, that snafu did not detract Wie from her early performance at the Bay Mills Open. She came out strong during Round 1 on August 21, shooting a 2-over 74 and setting her up for a solid shot at making the cut. Friday’s round did not treat her as well, though, as she scored a 5-over 79 for a total of 153 — 5 over the 148-stroke cut.

“I hit some good shots but they didn’t end up good,” Wie said at a press conference following Round 2. “I didn’t get rewarded for my good shots today,” she added. Wie had said earlier in the tournament that she draws a lot of her energy and enthusiasm from hitting good shots and playing well, but this was not to be the case for her on Friday.

“I have to accept that some days you play really well and some days even if you do play well, you just don’t get rewarded,” Wie said of her play.

Even though she fell out, Wie still made a marked impression on her fellow players at the tournament.

“She’s incredible,” said Michigan Amateur Colby Beckstrom, who was one of Wie’s playing partners during the qualifying rounds.

Doug McGuigan, who finished sixth overall on Sunday, was equally impressed with Wie’s performance.

“She may not have made the cut, but she still played better than about 100 of the pros here,” McGuigan said, “and she’s only 13. That’s pretty amazing.”

Bay Mills Tribal Chairman L. John Lufkins, who played a round with Wie along with Ken Perron and Terry Carrick on August 19, was amazed at Wie’s performance.

“It’s hard for the mind to imagine that she is only 13 and plays this well. It’s kind of a humbling experience,” Lufkins said.

Wie received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the Bay Mills Open, an issue which had raised controversy earlier this year when Annika Sorensten received an exemption to play in the PGA at the Colonial. Wie did not face the same criticism from her fellow players, as noted by Derek Gillespie, the Canadian Tour’s top Order of Merit player.

“There are no comparisons between Michelle playing to Annika [Sorensten],” Gillespie said. “All our carded members are in the tournament, so this is not a big issue.” Part of the controversy that surrounded Sorensten’s participation in the PGA was that her exemption may have cost a professional PGA player a spot in the Colonial Tournament.

Canadian Tour director Ian Mansfield was also very supportive of having Wie at the tournament.

“Michelle is a very visible player,” Mansfield said, “and that kind of exposure is always great for the tour. She is definitely very, very unique.”

Wie’s early departure allowed her to return to Honolulu with her family in time for her to begin her freshman year of high school on August 25. Wie said that she plans to play on the golf team while in high school. When asked what she thought about playing against high school girls after playing against professional golfers, Wie said “a competition is a competition, and the high school girls are not so bad either.”