[PAmedic]

sorry- I know its not PC, but I just don't get this. Why is it ok- in fact, encouraged- to have these ladies attempt this, when I'm willing to bet there would be howls of outrage if Vijay, Tiger or Lefty teed it up at the LPGA's Nabisco Classic.

c'mon, whats the point of having men's and ladies leagues if there isn't something (common sense, maybe) that dicatates IF YOU'RE NOT OF THE CORRECT GENDER, YOU CAN'T JOIN THAT LEAGUE?

maybe I'm just to old and cynical. who cares

[PAmedic]

Wie struggles with putting early

SUMMIT, N.J. (AP) - Michelle Wie was hurt by poor putting Monday, playing the first seven holes in 1-under par as she began her attempt to become the first woman to qualify for the U.S. Open.

The 16-year-old star from Hawaii missed birdie putts of 9, 10 and 4 feet on the second, third and fourth holes early in a one-day, 36-hole sectional qualifier at Canoe Brook Country Club.
Wie was competing against 152 men for 18 spots available in the Open at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y., in two weeks.

"I came here to see if history would be made," spectator Mark Blye of Scarsdale, N.Y., said after Wie missed the short birdie attempt on the 156-yard, No. 4 hole.

Wie has never made the cut - top 70 and ties - on the PGA Tour. The closest she came was in 2004 at the Sony Open, when she missed by one shot after shooting 68 in the second round. The score remains the best by a woman in a PGA event.

Wie's putter saved her on No. 1, a 501-yard hole that that is playing at par 4. It usually is a par 5 for the members.

After starting her round 15 minutes late, Wie was greeted with polite applause by a couple of hundred spectators. She pulled her drive left into the wet rough, and the crowd went silent.

Wie chipped 80 yards short of the green and hit her third about 12 feet right of the hole. Her par-saver was right in the middle of the cup.

She removed her coral sweeter for the par-4, 394-yard second hole and drove down the middle. Her second hit was from 9 feet, but she pushed her putt right. It never touched the cup, drawing groans from the crowd.

Her 10-footer birdie attempt on par-4, No. 3 missed left. One fan implored Wie to start making some putts as she headed to No. 4. Her tee shot revved the crowd. The putt never fell, though.

Weekend rain made the greens receptive and boosted expectations for low scores on both the South and North courses. The South Course, where Wie played in the morning, is considered easier.

"They ought to shoot lights out here on both of them," Canoe Brook member Bill Britton said. "They're going to have to get to 5 under to get in. She is going to have to make some putts."

Wie spent the past four days at the club working on her game with her father, B.J., her mother, Bo, and caddie, Greg Johnston. Swing coach David Leadbetter also worked with her.

There is no doubt that Wie has the length and game to play with anyone. The question is, can she do it over 36 holes against a field that includes about four dozen PGA Tour players?

Mark O'Meara and Mark Brooks are winners of major titles and Vaughn Taylor is trying for a Ryder Cup berth.

"There is a lot of excitement and buzz here because of Michelle Wie and her situation," O'Meara said Sunday. "It's an amazing feat for the young lady. There are 150-something people playing for 18 spots. You're going to have to play pretty good."

Wie's career best on the PGA Tour is 2 under par, both times at Waialae Country Club in Hawaii. The cutoff for getting into the U.S. Open last year at the Canoe Brook qualifier was 3-under 139. Two years ago, the 22nd and final spot went to Scott Hend at 140.

"I'd be very surprised if she got through," Brooks said. "You've got to play better than just making the cut on tour to qualify, usually. If you went over there and looked at those two courses and said, 'What would the tour shoot here?' If you figure the cut would be 3 under, you'd better shoot 4 or 5 under."

Two inches of rain over the weekend left the 6,632-yard South Course and the 7,066-yard North Course wet.

"It will play easier because of the rain," said David Gossett, a former PGA Tour winner paired with Wie and Rick Hartmann, a club pro from Long Island who qualified for the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. "The greens will be more receptive."

[WinthropEagleFan]

I don't have a problem with it...

Here's the way i see it: The PGA tour does not claim to be the men's tour, it is just the tour for the world's best golfers (and in 99.9% of the cases, that has meant only men). In all sports, you can only be the top league/tour/organization if you do not have any limits on the participants aside from skill level. This applies to gender, race, age, etc. (for the record I don't agree w/ age limits in the NBA). Now there's nothing wrong with having an organization that wants to determine the best "fill-in-the-blank" golfer (with the blank either being woman, amateur, college, high school, etc.), but once you set that limitation, you are automatically eliminating your organization from being the top league. I like that the PGA tour is open for anyone (man or woman) good enough to participate...same goes for NASCAR, IRL, etc. If Wie is good enough to qualify for the top tour, then more power too her, but saying that she shouldn't be able to enter a PGA tour event because Tiger Woods can't enter an LPGA event is no different to me than saying a college golfer shouldn't be able to enter a PGA event because Tiger Woods can't enter the NCAA tournament...

Now if the PGA wanted to limit itself to being just for men, i don't see a problem with that, but I feel that limits it from being the best tour it can be. If a woman is good enough, i see no reason for her to be excluded.

[Rocketfan]

And i agree with that statemetn totally. My only problem is, has she ever even won a womens tournament? I reason i ask that is there seems to be more focus on her qualifying for a mens competition than actually winning an actual womens tourney?

[WinthropEagleFan]

And i agree with that statemetn totally. My only problem is, has she ever even won a womens tournament? I reason i ask that is there seems to be more focus on her qualifying for a mens competition than actually winning an actual womens tourney?

Yeah, I'm don't necessarily agree with her strategy, but i don't see how that changes anything...if she wants to pursue PGA events before proving she can win at lower levels, that's up to her...

[A.G.]

Why am I always straightening you guys out.

This is DIFFERENT than her other men's tournaments, where she got a sponsor's exemption. In THIS route, she is going through the EXACT SAME process as the men. If she can qualify playing the same course, same rules, same distance, in short, on equal footing with the men, then more power to her. That is why it is the US OPEN--it is open to all who can qualify.