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Around Interlachen: Thursday

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 27, 2008

9 On No. 9 Too Much For Wie

EDINA, Minn. - Michelle Wie didn't have THAT bad of a day. It only looked that way.

Hoping to prove the problems of last year's nagging wrist injury were behind her and a once-promising career is back on track, the 18-year-old Hawaiian played her way into this week's U.S. Women's Open through qualifying.

And then began play Thursday with an 81.

Most of the damage, however, came on a single hole. On the par-4 ninth Wie took a quintuple-bogey 9.

She needed seven strokes to navigate the final 30 yards of the hole.

She never fully recovered and failed to break 80 for the second straight year in the Women's Open.

"I had trouble counting how many strokes I had on that hole," Wie said. "But like I said, it was just one bad hole. And it's the U.S. Open. It will bite you in the butt."

Oh, Hurst Share Lead

Ji Young Oh, 19, of South Korea and American 14-year veteran Pat Hurst each shot 6-under-par 67s Thursday at Interlachen Country Club and share the first-round lead of the U.S. Women's Open.

Thirty-two players broke par on the opening day - most since 1999 - but the world's most recognized names had problems.

The top five golfers in the Rolex World Rankings combined for a cumulative 5-over par.

Only American Paula Creamer, ranked No. 4, managed to break par with a 3-under 70.

No. 1 Lorena Ochoa finished even, needing to birdie three of her final five holes for a 73. No. 2 Annika Sorenstam and No. 5 Karrie Webb both finished plus-2, while No. 4 Suzann Pettersen was 4 over.

Young And Dumb

England's longtime LPGA star Laura Davies won the U.S. Open in 1987 in a playoff in her second season on tour. She has had only three top-10 finishes since and has missed the cut five of the last seven years.

But Thursday she shot 3-under 70 and is back on the leaderboard.

"It seemed so easy then," Davis said, recalling her victory. "Yeah, it was, it was a breeze, I remember just turning up, winning it, winning it on a Tuesday in an 18-hole playoff, it just seemed so simple.

"I really didn't know any better. Now I do. This is, what, my 23rd straight U.S. Open and it's not as easy as I thought it was."

Creamer Stands Tall

Paula Creamer proved why she is considered the top American, shooting her 3 under despite a finishing bogey, while playing in a threesome that included Annika Sorenstam and Suzann Pettersen.

"Of course when you get to play with Annika and Suzann, both who have won majors, it's a good pairing," she said. "I played well."

Shot Of The Day

When somebody knocks their second shot into the hole for eagle on a 413-yard par 4, that's impressive. If that player is a 14-year-old amateur, it's very impressive.

Argentina's Victoria Tanco, who attends grade school in Bradenton, made the only eagle of the day on the hole, sinking her approach shot from some 175 yards.

Hole Of Day

No. 9

The 413-yard par 4, with water fronting a wickedly sloping green, without doubt was the day's most entertaining hole.

It gave up an eagle-2 and also hit Michelle Wie with a 9.

Thirty-seven players made birdies, while 41 bogeyed, nine doubled. There were two "others."

By The Numbers

4: Americans among the top 20 first-round finishers.

7: Amateurs among the 32 players to break par.

12: Stimpmeter speed of greens Thursday, same as for all week's practice rounds.

17: Greens hit in regulation by Tiffany Lua.

294.5: Distance in yards averaged by longest driver Jee Young Lee, left.

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