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Wie Falters In Bid For 1st LPGA Victory

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By JAYMES SONG

The Associated Press

Published: February 15, 2009

KAHUKU, Hawaii - Michelle Wie seemed to have the trophy in her grasp until Angela Stanford and a late stumble got in the way.

Stanford spoiled Wie's bid for a victory in her first start as an LPGA Tour member, overcoming a three-stroke deficit to win the season-opening SBS Open by three shots Saturday.

Stanford closed with a 2-under 70 for a 10-under 206 total at wind-swept Turtle Bay, giving the Texan her fourth career win and third in seven starts. Wie had a disappointing 73 for her second straight runner-up finish in the tournament.

The 19-year-old hometown favorite was cruising along, but made a double bogey on No. 11 that gave Stanford the opening she needed.

"That was the moment I needed to step up because that was my chance," Stanford said.

Wie said she felt she played solid.

"I just had one bad hole," Wie said. "I'm kind of disappointed in that. But there's a lot of positive things I can take from this week."

Trailing by a stroke with six holes to play, Stanford used her irons to shoot her way back to the top of the leaderboard. She birdied three straight holes to reach 10 under and take a two-stroke lead over Wie with three holes to play.

The first birdie putt in the run, set up by a 5-iron into a brisk right-to-left wind, was from 15 feet.

"I needed to see a ball go in. That was huge," she said.

The late birdie flurry provided Stanford complete momentum, while Wie helplessly watched. Wie had a chance to cut into Stanford's lead on No. 16, but lipped out a 3 1/2 -foot birdie putt. She then bogeyed No. 17 by hitting into the sand twice.

Stanford broke a big smile and was drenched with beer by other players after tapping in for birdie on 18. The win was surprising because she didn't feel quite ready to start the season.

The 31-year-old Stanford was the hottest player on tour to end the season and has emerged as one of the top golfers in the world. In the final six events of 2008, she won twice and finished no lower than a tie for sixth. She is ranked No. 8.

Stanford is off to a fast start after coming off a career-best season where she broke $1 million for the first time and finished ninth on the money list.

Wie appeared to be sailing away with the SBS title after the turn. She went up by three strokes with eight holes to play when Stanford ran into trouble around the green and bogeyed the par-4 10th.

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