Will Michelle Wie make the cut at the 2006 Sony Open?

[uhwarriors]

In 2004 as a 14 year old, she missed it by one stroke. Last year she missed it by seven. Will she do it this year?

[Scott]

http://www.pga.com/news/tours/pga-tour/sony011006.cfm

First full field of 2005 gathers at Waialae for the Sony Open in Hawaii
Vijay Singh is on hand to defend the first of his four 2005 titles, but once again all eyes are on talented teenager Michelle Wie.

01.10.2006 07:25 pm (EST)

HONOLULU, Hawaii (Sports Network) -- The Sony Open serves as the first full-field event of the 2006 PGA Tour season, and for the third year in a row, the full field is upstaged by teenage sensation Michelle Wie.

The purse this week totals $5.1 million, with the winner pocketing $918,000. The runner-up will get $550,800, while the third-place finisher will receive $346,800.

As it has every year since its inception in 1965, the tournament returns to Waialae Country Club. Course architects Seth Raynor and Charles Banks created the 7,060-yard, par-70 layout in 1927, and Rick Smith refurbished it in 1999.

Wie, now 16, is in the field after receiving a sponsor's exemption. Last year, Wie, the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion, carded rounds of 75-74 to finish at 9-over-par and seven shots from making the cut. She also played in the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour last season, shooting rounds of 70-71 to finish at 1-under and two shots from making the cut.

Wie, who became the youngest woman ever to play in a PGA Tour event in 2004, participated in eight LPGA events in 2005, making seven cuts with one disqualification. Her best finish was in a major at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, where she finished alone in second place. Her scoring average for the season was 70.75 with 10 out of 29 rounds in the 60s. This will be Wie's first appearance on the PGA Tour since turning pro in October.

Last year, Vijay Singh birdied the 18th hole to win by one stroke over Ernie Els, who won here in 2003 and 2004. Singh posted a 5-under 65 in the final round to finish at 11-under-par 269.

Els made a dramatic eagle putt on the final hole to match the course record of 8-under 62 to come in at 10-under 270. Singh opened the final round four strokes behind Shigeki Maruyama, but stuck his second shot within two feet to set up birdie on the second and then posted six straight pars before making his move.

He birdied the par-5 ninth to get to minus-8, then came right back with an 18-foot birdie putt at the 10th to get within one and was tied atop the leader board after he rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at the 11th. As Singh converted his par putt on the 12th, he heard the roar of the crowd from the 18th as Els drained a 16-foot eagle putt to jump to minus-10.

Singh, who parred Nos. 12-17, shared the lead with Els as he stepped to the 18th tee. He crushed his drive down the middle, carrying his drive over 310 yards in the air, and left his second shot to the par 5 on the front fringe. Singh rolled his eagle try from 50 feet out just by the cup and tapped in for birdie to gain a one-shot cushion over Els, who had finished nine groups ahead of Singh. Maruyama had a chance to tie Singh at the last, but was unable to hole out for eagle from 92 yards, and that gave Singh the championship.

Singh was the only player to post all four rounds in the 60s last year. He has shot 17 straight rounds of par or better with his last 10 rounds in the 60s. Maruyama aced the 202-yard, par-3 fourth hole during the third round.

With his win in 2004, Els joined Corey Pavin (1986-87) and Hubert Green (1978-79) as the only players to repeat as champion. Lanny Wadkins is the only three-time winner, capturing the title in 1982, '88 and '91.

The 2004 Champions Tour player of the year, Craig Stadler, makes an appearance on the PGA Tour this week. He finished in a tie for ninth last year. Jay Haas, also on the Champions Tour, is playing this week along with his son Bill, who earned his 2006 PGA Tour card at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Waialae Country Club's golf course nestles between the majestic Koolau mountain range on the north and blue Pacific Ocean on the south. Established in the late 1920s, Waialae was first groomed as an amenity for the guests of Waikiki's Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The beach adjacent to the eighth hole at Waialae was used to film a scene from the movie "From Here to Eternity."

When Brad Faxon won this event in 2001, he joined 2000 winner Paul Azinger, John Huston (1998) and Howard Twitty (1993) as the only players to win this event wire-to-wire. There have been 10 playoffs in the tournament's rich history, with the last coming in 2004 when Ernie Els defeated Harrison Frazar.

Past champions of this tournament read like a who's who with Singh, Els, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Hale Irwin, Ben Crenshaw, Jim Furyk and Paul Azinger. In all, 14 major championship winners have captured this event.

The last time a player shot an over-par round and still captured the title was back in 1987, when Corey Pavin shot 75 during round two and came away with the victory.

Next week, the PGA Tour heads to the mainland, as Justin Leonard defends the first of his two titles from last year at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in California.

[uhwarriors]

After listening to her interview, it appears that even with playing in one of her sponser's tournament she is maturing and approaching things differently. It's more from a process and long term perspective. I think that reduces the immediate pressure and may actually make it easier to achieve her goals. I think she will make the cut this year.