Sport

Wie misses another cut on PGA Tour

Michelle Wie's slim hopes of making the cut at the Reno-Tahoe Open evaporated when she battled to an eight-over-par 80 in yesterday…

Sat Aug 02 2008 - 01:00

Michelle Wie's slim hopes of making the cut at the Reno-Tahoe Open evaporated when she battled to an eight-over-par 80 in yesterday's second round at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nevada.

Bidding to become the first woman to survive the cut in a PGA Tour event in 63 years, the American teenager bogeyed two of her first six holes and ran up an ugly quintuple-bogey nine at the eighth before posting a nine-over total of 153.
   
"It was a great learning experience," said Wie. "I feel like my game is a lot better. Obviously the score doesn't show it but I know what I need to work on.
   
"If the opportunity (to play in a PGA Tour event) comes again... I'd think about it."
   
While fellow Honolulu native Parker McLachlin charged to the top of the leaderboard with a course record-equalling 62, Wie had to settle for her eighth missed cut in eight attempts on the world's most lucrative circuit.
   
She had faced an uphill task at the start of the day after an opening 73 left her eight strokes behind pacesetting American Jeff Overton and her unlikely bid for glory was left in tatters as she covered her back nine in seven-over 43.

Wie had been aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow American Babe Zaharias, who made the cut at the Phoenix Open and Tucson Open on the 1945 PGA Tour.
   
The 18-year-old, once one of the most trumpeted players in the game, is playing on a sponsor's exemption in Reno.
   
McLachlin birdied seven of the last 11 holes for a flawless 62 and a 36-hole tally of 14-under 130, good enough for a four-stroke lead.
   
Australian rookie Nick Flanagan, Britain's Brian Davis, and Americans Larry Mize and John Merrick are tied for second at 10-under for the tournament.
   
The surging McLachlin matched the course record set by compatriot Bill Glasson in 2005.
   
"I didn't know what the course record was," McLachlin said. "I just kept telling my caddy I wanted to get to 15-under.
   
Most of the PGA Tour's biggest names are competing this week in the third and final World Golf Championship event of the year, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.