Wie struggles, but makes cut
KAPOLEI, Hawaii -- Michelle Wie made the cut with 2 strokes to spare Friday in the Fields Open at Kapolei Hawaii, following her opening 3-under 69 with a 73 that left her 10 strokes behind leader Jeong Jang with one round left.
The 18-year-old Wie scrambled for 3 birdies and 4 bogeys, but wasn't as sharp as her opening round Thursday when she broke 70 for the first time since the Evian Ladies Masters in July 2006.
Players enjoyed a second day of mostly calm conditions at Ko Olina, a wide-open resort course featuring several manmade waterfalls and palm trees. The 54-hole tournament will end today to accommodate television audiences in Asia.
Wie qualified for the weekend for the first time since last year's Evian, where she closed with rounds of 84 and 76 to tie for 69th.
She injured both wrists last year but kept playing, and struggling. She made only two cuts in 2007 and finished 19th in a 20-player field at the Samsung World Championship in October, her final event of the year. In eight starts against women, she withdrew twice and only broke par twice in 19 rounds.
Jang, who opened with a course record-tying 64, had seven birdies and four bogeys in a 68 to reach 12-under 132. The 2005 Women's British Open champion was a stroke ahead of fellow South Korean Song-Hee Kim, who made several long putts for a career-best 64.
Paula Creamer (68) was third at 10 under, followed by Lindsey Wright (66).
Annika Sorenstam, trying to complete a Hawaiian sweep after winning at the season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay for her 70th LPGA Tour title, birdied four of the final six holes for a bogey-free 66 to put her in the hunt at 8 under with Angela Stanford (69) and Minea Blomqvist (65).
Wie got off to a good start Friday, swirling in a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 2 and making a putt that was just as long for a remarkable par save on the par-5 fifth. After hitting the cart path with her drive, her approach from 70 yards flew over the green, sending a few spectators running for cover. She pitched to the top tier of the leveled green and made the tough, downhill putt that drew a roar from the crowd.
Wie holed an 8-footer for birdie on the next hole to reach 4 under but lost a stroke by pulling a 6-foot par putt on the par-3 eighth.
She avoided disaster on the par-5 14th after yanking her tee shot to the left through the row of palm trees and nearly in the street. The ball came to a stop between the grass and the curb.
With no relief and the traffic stopped, Wie looked down at the ominous shot with thoughts of her wrists running through her head. She calmly hit it to the front of the green and nearly escaped with a par but settled for bogey.
Playing in front of a large gallery on her home island of Oahu, Wie is starting the season against the women for the first time in five years. She previously opened at the PGA Tour's Sony Open where she nearly made the cut as a 14-year-old. She wasn't invited to Waialae this year.
Sorenstam is healthy and confident again after coming off an injury-shortened season in 2007 where the Swedish star was winless for the first time since her rookie season in 1994.
Mayakoba Golf Classic: John Merrick shot a 2-under 68 in windy conditions to take a 1-stroke lead over Brian Bay in the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Merrick had an 8-under 132 total on the Greg Norman-designed El Cameleon course. Gay shot a 66. David Lutterus (69) was 6 under, Steve Marino (69) followed at 4 under, and Kenneth Ferrie (72), Shigeki Maruyama (68) and Matt Kuchar (69) were 3 under. Norman missed the cut with rounds of 70 and 70.