Patience, and Crib Notes, Help Wie Gain Lead in Women's Open
PINEHURST, N.C. - Michelle Wie did her homework this week.
She credited her three-shot lead at the United States Women's Open to the yardage books of Keegan Bradley and Rickie Fowler. Bradley and Fowler gave Wie the books after playing in last week's United States Open, held on the same Pinehurst No. 2 course, where Fowler tied for second.
'They put some really good notes in it for me,' said Wie, 24, who carded her second round of two-under-par 68 on Friday to grab the lead at four-under 136.
'I did a lot of homework, the most homework I've ever done on a golf course,' she said.
Wie carded eight straight pars on the back nine, with a birdie from 15 feet on No. 18, her ninth hole of the day.
'I'll take par any day on this golf course,' said Wie, who leads Lexi Thompson, who shot a two-under 68, by three strokes.
The first-round leader, Stacy Lewis (73), dropped into a tie with Amy Yang (69) and the amateur Minjee Lee (71) at even-par 140.
The 11-year-old Lucy Li missed the cut at 16-over 156, but finished ahead of 24 players.
Also missing the cut were the past champions Cristie Kerr (150), Birdie Kim (152) and Laura Davies (156).
The 15-year-old amateur Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, Calif., made the cut with rounds of 79 and 70.
Wie made her only bogey on No. 1, her 10th hole, but displayed patience and careful course management.
Several times, Wie opted for a hybrid off the tee to keep her ball from rolling through the fairway. And instead of getting rattled with less-than-perfect shots out of the areas of native vegetation, she played for safe spots on the green, demonstrating a new patience in the championship that has eluded her.
'I took notes from both of their books and learned a thing or two knowing where to miss it, where not to miss it,' said Wie, who hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation. 'A wedge in the native is better than having a 5-iron in the fairway.'
When she needed to save par, Wie - not known for putting consistency - found the cup at crucial moments. She saved par from 15 feet on the second hole, and again from 24 feet on No. 6.
Wie also birdied her last two holes, draining a 12-footer on No. 8 and a 15-footer on No. 9. She needed only 29 putts. On Thursday, she was even better, with 26.
Wie tried to play down the tournament's magnitude, noting that Sunday's final round was 'far away' while allowing that - unlike in past years at this event - she planned 'to have a lot of fun this weekend.'
Wie's best Open finish was a tie for third in 2006, but she has not cracked the top 10 in nine previous starts. Twice she has withdrawn (2007 and 2013), and twice she has missed the cut (2008 and 2010).
Seven years ago, the United States Women's Open was held a few miles down the road at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C. Wie withdrew at 17-over par after 27 holes. She also took three months off that year to recover from wrist injuries.
Wie has flirted with performance greatness but has floundered at times on the highest stages. While her powerful drives and ability to execute 3-wood stinger shots and spot-on trajectory irons have set her apart from other women, Wie has not cashed in as widely as expected until this year.
She has posted eight top-10 performances in 12 events, including one win on the L.P.G.A. Tour, with a season scoring average of 69.3.
'I think I went through a phase where I was too aggressive,' Wie said. 'I think I went through a phase where I was maybe not aggressive enough, and I think I've learned from both situations.'
Li, the youngest qualifier at the United States Women's Open, stole headlines this week and attracted large galleries, but her run came to an end Friday after consecutive rounds of 78.
Li said she had fun and was proud to have made a birdie on No. 14 after she had scored a triple bogey on the 13th hole.
'I'm really happy with how I bounced back after those big numbers,' she said. 'You have to be patient; that's what I learned.'
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