Wie,
Nirapathpongporn, Thurman, Lucidi Advance to WAPL’s Third Round
Palm Coast, Fla. – Thirteen-year-old
Michelle Wie, of Honolulu, Hawaii, led the favorites of the 2003 United
States Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship into the third round
at the 6,086-yard, par-72 course at Ocean Hammock Golf Club.
Wie
struggled back from a two-hole deficit to defeat Hwanhee Lee, of Los
Angeles, Calif., 2 and 1.
Also
advancing were medalist Virada Nirapathpongporn, of Bangkok, Thailand,
defending champion Annie Thurman of Highland, Utah, and the 2002 U.S.
Women’s Amateur Champion, Becky Lucidi, of Poway, Calif.
Nirapathpongporn
defeated Gabby Wedding, of Wilmington, Ohio, 4 and 3. Thurman outlasted
Elena Kurokawa, of Redondo Beach, Calif., 1 up. Lucidi defeated Sunny
Oh, of Las Vegas, Nev., 4 and 3.
Wie
lost to Lee in the semifinals of last year’s championship. In today’s
second round, she was two holes down at the 14th tee. Banging a prodigious
drive down the right side of the fairway on this 487-yard par-5, Wee
had 205 yards to the green and a back hole location. In one of the
finest shots of this championship, Wie hit a 3-iron over water and
a bunker to within 4½ feet of the hole. Lee, meanwhile, hit into a
water hazard and two bunkers before conceding Wie’s eagle putt.
Wie squared
the match at the 15th hole when she made a 10-foot birdie putt after
Lee made a par. Lee three-putted the 16th hole to lose to a par and
Wie was suddenly 1 up. She closed out the match on the par-3 17th
when she two-putted for a par from 25 feet and Lee made a bogey from
the bunker. With the usual match-play concessions, Wie was three under
par for the match while Lee was even par.
In the afternoon’s
third round, Wie is facing Mayumi Motoyama, of Littleton, Colo. Nirapathpongporn
is playing Brooke Tull, of Georgetown, Texas. Thurman is going against
Tarah McNaughton, of Bradenton, Fla.
Palm
Coast , Fla.
– Results of the second round
of match play in the 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship
at the 6,068-yard, par-72 course at Ocean Hammock Golf Club.
Round of 32
UPPER
HALF
Virada Nirapathpongporn, Thailand (141) def. Gabby Wedding, Wilmington,
Ohio (152), 4 and 3
Brooke Tull, Georgetown, Texas (150) def. Thuhashini Selvaratnam,
Sri Lanka (150), 5 and 3
D'Rae Ward, Weatherford, Texas (151) def. Christine Anast, Littleton,
Colo. (157), 6 and 5
Jeanne Cho, France (148) def. Stephanie Kono, Honolulu, Hawaii (150),
21 Holes
Tanya Dergal, Mexico (145) def. Mari Chun, Pearl City, Hawaii (151),
4 and 2
Beth Allen, San Diego, Calif. (149) def. Alison Zimmer, Tallahassee,
Fla. (155), 6 and 5
Annie Thurman, Highland, Utah (145) def. Elena Kurokawa, Redondo Beach,
Calif. (151), 1 up
Tarah McNaughton, Bradenton, Fla. (149) def. Miranda Smith, Hideaway,
Ohio (154), 5 and 4
LOWER
HALF
Aimee Cho,
Orlando, Fla. (142) def. Leanna Wicks, Brighton, Mich. (151), 4 and
3
Amanda Wilson, Hilo, Hawaii (150) def. Jennifer Ackerson, Allen, Texas
(156), 4 and 3
Hannah Jun, San Diego, Calif. (151) def. Mina Harigae, Monterey, Calif.
(147), 22 Holes
Terra
Petsinger, Arvilla, N.D. (154) def. Amanda McCurdy, El Dorado, Ark.
(148), 4 and 3
Michelle Wie, Honolulu, Hawaii (144) def. Hwanhee Lee, Los Angeles,
Calif. (153), 2 and 1
Mayumi Motoyama, Littleton, Colo. (155) def. Brenda Norris, Spring
Branch, Texas (156), 3 and 2
Becky Lucidi, Poway, Calif. (146) def. Sunny Oh, Las Vegas, Nev. (153),
4 and 3
Tina Miller, Miami, Fla. (148) def. Courtney Pomeranz, Sanford, N.C.
(150), 3 and 2
Third Round Pairings
Round
of 16
UPPER
HALF
Virada
Nirapathpongporn, Thailand (141) vs. Brooke Tull, Georgetown, Texas
(150)
D'Rae
Ward, Weatherford, Texas (151) vs. Jeanne Cho, France (148)
Tanya
Dergal, Mexico (145) vs. Beth Allen, San Diego, Calif. (149)
Annie
Thurman, Highland, Utah (145) vs. Tarah McNaughton, Bradenton, Fla.
(149)
LOWER
HALF
Aimee
Cho, Orlando, Fla. (142) vs. Amanda Wilson, Hilo, Hawaii (150)
Hannah
Jun, San Diego, Calif. (151) vs. Terra Petsinger, Arvilla, N.D.
(154)
Michelle
Wie, Honolulu, Hawaii (144) vs. Mayumi Motoyama, Littleton, Colo.
(155)
Becky
Lucidi, Poway, Calif. (146) vs. Tina Miller, Miami, Fla. (148)
