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Wie, Lang Advance To Quarterfinals in U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links
Williamsburg, Va. – Defending champion Michelle Wie, 14, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was taken to the 17th hole by both of her opponents Friday, but survived to enter the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at the 6,179-yard, par-72 Green Course of Golden Horseshoe Golf Club. Wie's third-round match against Jane Park, 17, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., was a battle between 2004 USA Curtis Cup roommates. Wie birdied four of the last six holes to win, 2 and 1, against the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur runner-up. "When I was coming in today I thought I didn't want to play against Jane because we're so close," said Wie. "She's a really good friend of mine and it's always easier to be mentally tougher when you don't know, or like, a person. You have to say, ‘I really like her and I have to try to beat her.' " The Wie-Park encounter was a classic battle. Wie had six birdies and Park had three. Park made a crucial miscue, however, when she missed a short par putt on the fifth hole and Wie went 1 up. Wie birdied the seventh on a 9-foot breaking putt to go 2 up, but Park birdied the ninth with a 15-footer, then parred the 10th to Wie's bogey to square the match. Wie displayed a hot putter for the first time in the championship. She made a 15-footer to win the 12th and go 1 up, then lost the 13th to Park's par. Wie made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 14th to take a 1-up lead. With Park facing a sure three-foot birdie putt at the 15th hole, Wie made her 15-footer for birdie to remain 1 up. Both players parred the 16th hole.
After more than two hours of rain delays, the par-3 17th and final hole was played in near darkness. "I hit a 5-iron and I knew I had to make a birdie so we could finish before dark," said Wie. After Park missed a birdie putt of 12 feet, Wie sank her eight-footer for a birdie to end the match.
In the morning's second round match, Wie defeated a scrappy Melissa Martin, 21, of Altadena, Calif., and a student at UCLA, 3 and 1. That match was all square through the 12th hole. Meanwhile, stroke-play medalist Brittany Lang, 18, of McKinney, Texas, overcame Janet Dyer of Starkville, Miss., 3 and 2, to reach Saturday's quarterfinal round. Lang made four birdies on the day and one bogey. The third USA Curtis Cup player in the field, Lang will face 2002 U.S. Girls' Junior Champion In-Bee Park of Eustis, Fla. One third-round match had yet to be completed when darkness suspended play for the day. Ashley Grier of Hagerstown, Md., and Ya-Ni Tseng of Chinese Taipei were all-square through 20 holes. Other third-round winners included Angela Park of Torrance, Calif., who defeated Gabby Wedding of Wilmington, Ohio, 2 and 1, and No. 2 seed Jenna Pearson of Wheaton, Ill., who edged Elena Kurokawa of Redondo Beach, Calif., 2 and 1. Hannah Jun of San Diego, Calif., and a semifinalist at the 2002 U.S. Girls' Junior, also cruised into the quarterfinals with a 7-and-6 victory over Ko-Chen Yeh of Chinese Taipei. Nara Shin of Chula Vista, Calif., edged Tiffany Chudy of Miramar, Fla., in 19 holes. Besides the Lang-In-Bee Park matchup, the quarters will also feature Pearson against Wie and Shin against Angela Park. Jun faces the Grier-Tseng winner. The semifinals are slated for Saturday afternoon, with the 36-hole final on Sunday. The U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links is one of 13 national championships conducted by the USGA on an annual basis, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs. |
