Wie Advances In U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links

Sunriver, Ore. – Michelle Wie, 12, of Honolulu, Hawaii, defeated Angela Won, 18, of Irvine, Calif., 5 and 3, Thursday to advance to the third round in the 2002 United States Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at the 6,189-yard, par 71 Meadow Course of the Sunriver Resort.

Wie simply overpowered the straight-hitting Won, outdriving her by some 50 yards per hole and taking a 3-up lead at the turn. On the 385-yard, par-4 11th hole, Wie sailed her tee shot well over 300 yards to within 40 yards of the green.

“I feel good, I feel happy,” said the soft-spoken Wie.

Wie breezed through the morning first-round match, defeating Janell Howland, of Beaumont, Texas, 5 and 4. With match-play concessions, Wie birdied seven of the 14 holes she played in the match. All of the birdies were on par-4 holes. The only par 4 she failed to birdie was the 405-yard 4th.

Wie remained the youngest player in the field when Mina Harigae, 12, of Monterey, Calif., lost in the second round to Kimberly Rowton, 20, of San Antonio, Texas, 2 and 1. Amanda Wilson, 14, of Hilo, Hawaii, also advanced, however, defeating Alexis Wooster, of Winnetka, Ill.

With medalist Jessica Reese, of Santa Rosa, Calif., ousted in the first round, attention turns to the young and to the veterans. The oldest player remaining in the field, Angie Yoon, 23, of San Diego, Calif., is also the best known. In 1997, Yoon, then 18, was runner-up in this championship.

Yoon narrowly defeated Selvaratnam Thuhashini, of Sri Lanka, 1 up, to win her second-round match.

Becky Lucidi, 21, of Poway, Calif., a quarterfinalist in 2000, also advanced to the third round after defeating Lorraine Ballerano, of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

“Underdogs are the way to go,” said Lucidi, “but I’m old enough that I don’t think I could be considered an underdog.”

Yvonne Choe, 19, of Temple City, Calif., defeated Jennifer Tannehill, of Oklahoma City, Okla., on the 19th hole. In 2000, Choe advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Reese’s loss to Sunny Oh, of Torrance, Calif., by a 9 and 7 margin was poignant in that Oh had won the last and 64th spot in match play Wednesday in a playoff. Earlier the same day, Reese had fired a record-tying 66 to capture medalist honors. The last time the medalist lost to the last qualifier was in 1999.

In Friday’s third round matches, Wie faces Kelly Schaub, of Greeley, Colo. Rowton will play Lucidi; Wilson takes on Jeanne Cho, of France. Yoon plays Aimee Cho, of Orlando, Fla., and Yvonne Choe will face Laura Crawford, of Lancaster, S.C.

The Women’s Amateur Public Links, one of 13 national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association, winds up on Sunday with a 36-hole final match.

Thursday's Results

Sunriver, Ore. – Results of the second and first-round matches in the 26th U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at the 6,189-yard, par 71 Meadow Course of the Sunriver Resort.

Round of 32

Upper Half

Candy Herrera, Apple Valley, Calif. (152) def. Sunny Oh, Torrance, Calif. (157), 6 and 5
Annie Thurman, Highland, Utah (149) def. Elizabeth Allen, Solana Beach, Calif. (148), 6 and 5
Ina Kim, Los Angeles, Calif. (151) def. Laura Cross, Midlothian, Texas (146), 6 and 5
Marcela Gonzalez, Miami, Fla. (156) def. Rebecca Randolph, Boise, Idaho (154), 6 and 5
Kimberly Rowton, San Antonio, Texas (145) def. Mina Harigae, Monterey, Calif. (151), 2 and 1
Becky Lucidi, Poway, Calif. (150) def. Lorraine Ballerano, Myrtle Beach, S.C. (148), 3 and 1
Laura Crawford, Lancaster, S.C. (151) def. Emily Milberger, Olathe, Kan. (146), 2 and 1
Yvonne Choe, Temple City, Calif. (150) def. Karyn Stordahl, Prior Lake, Minn. (148), 2 and 1

Lower Half

Jeanne Cho, France (151) def. Hana Kim, Los Angeles, Calif. (144), 19 Holes
Amanda Wilson, Hilo, Hawaii (155) def. Alexis Wooster, Winnetka, Ill. (154), 2 and 1
Kelly Schaub, Greeley, Colo. (151) def. Terra Petsinger, Arvilla, N.D. (146), 5 and 4
Michelle Wie, Honolulu, Hawaii (150) def. Angela Won, Irvine, Calif. (156), 5 and 3
Jenna Cannon, Monticello, Minn. (152) def. Erica Blasberg, Corona, Calif. (145), 1 up
Hwanhee Lee, Long Beach, Calif. (148) def. Elena Kurokawa, Redondo Beach, Calif. (154), Default
Aimee Cho, Orlando, Fla. (151) def. Jennifer Tannehill, Oklahoma City, Okla. (156), 19 Holes
Angie Yoon, San Diego, Calif. (150) def. Thuhashini Selvaratnam, Sri Lanka (147), 1 up