Alexa Takai drawing comparisons to Michelle Wie

Alexa Takai, 14, and Brandan Kop, 63, regularly compete at Oahu Country Club. Takai is a rising freshman at Punahou. Kop is in the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame. Takai hits farther, with a disposition even further beyond her years. Kop knows that’s not normal.

He has been around a lot of great players. His grandfather, Guinea Kop, was part of the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame’s inaugural 1988 induction class. His uncle, Wendell Kop, was inducted in 1994. Brandan Kop himself followed suit in 2008, preceded by accomplishments that included a Western Athletic Conference championship and two All-WAC selections in the 1980s.

But around the time Michelle Wie broke onto the world scene as a young teenager in the early 2000s, Kop had a front-row seat. He played alongside a 14-year-old Wie at the Hawaii State Amateur Championship, annually held at the Pearl Country Club. She shot down the center of all 18 fairways and landed on 17 of 18 putting greens. He knew she was one of a kind. Then he met Takai.

“That’s the closest person I’ve seen so far to Michelle Wie,” Kop said.

“Michelle hit a little farther, a little tighter, but Alexa has a better short game. Her wedge and her putter is better.”

Last month, Takai became the second-youngest golfer to win the Jennie K. Wilson Women’s Invitational, a premier amateur women’s golf tournament that has been held since 1950. Wie won at age 11 in 2001. Comparisons between the two intensify by the day.

Amid the buzz, Takai still has so much more that she wants to accomplish, starting with her appearance at the 115th Manoa Cup match-play championship this week.

She is willing to go to great lengths to win another tournament, and with it, win a feeling unparalleled to any other she has experienced in her young life. Playing well is, in her own words, “addicting.”

“I’d give anything to feel that again, or even more than that,” Takai said.

When Takai and Kop first began their practice rounds at OCC last August, her drive consistently careened short of his. Surely, it was no surprise the strength of an eighth-grade prospect failed to match up with that of a veteran golfer. Takai didn’t see it that way. Kop assured her that she would naturally grow stronger in due time. So Takai expedited the process.

She spent the month of May focused on intense meal prep, balancing chicken, steak, eggs and other proteins with a proportional amount of carbs and fats to add muscle mass. Yes, she cooked many of her own meals. And yes, 10 pounds later, she effectively added 10-15 yards to her tee shot.

“When I’m talking to her, I look at her, I know what she’s thinking,” Kop said. “She’s thinking, ‘Why wait? … I want to do it now.’”

Takai is the youngest of four, and her parents have never held her to a certain standard in golf. She first swung a golf club at 5 years old because it was a fun activity, a family hobby. In the past several years, she’s wanted more from the sport.

Now she has it — more strength, more success and more spectators watching to see what she does next.

“My husband and I, neither of us have had the type of success she’s had in life,” Takai’s mom, Courtney, said.

“Alexa is in a transition period right now, where maybe six months ago or a year ago, not a lot of people knew who she was. And now, she’ll show up at a tournament and people will know her name, unexpectedly. We’ve never had that happen, really.”

To qualify for the Manoa Cup, Takai will need to shoot among the 16 lowest scores across a pool of 31 players in Monday’s qualifying round. Gonzaga-bound Jasmine Wong, who won ‘Iolani its first individual title in the David S. Ishii/HHSAA Girls Golf State Championship a month ago, and Mililani rising senior Kate Nakaoka, who won the Hawaii State Amateur over Takai by two strokes in March, will tee off with Takai at 11:15 a.m. Kop called them the state’s three best girls high school golfers, all of whom will compete on Takai’s home course, if you will.

No female, amateur or professional, holds a lower score at OCC than the 63 she recorded from the blue tees in a practice round on May 26, according to Kop, who witnessed the round along with one of Takai’s sisters. The red tees regularly used in the women’s amateur division are much closer.

Kop said even he has never shot a 63 from the blue tees, the farthest set from the green.

“I just try to play my own game and just get comfortable with playing in front of people and meeting (the) expectations they have on me,” Takai said.

“You can’t really go back. It’s a lot of pressure now.”

-- Star-Advertiser, June 16, 2024

Michelle Wie

7/9/23 - Michelle Wie was fearless

7/5/23 - It went fast for Michelle Wie

8/22/22 - Michelle Wie acknowledges her struggles

8/9/22 - Michelle Wie still having an impact

6/3/22 - Wie West misses cut at U.S. Open, has one tournament left

5/27/22 - Michelle Wie West stepping back from LPGA

the next Tiger Woods?

If you've been trying to find "the next Tiger Woods" on the golf circuit, perhaps consider Tiger's own son, Charlie. The apple may not fall far from the tree when it comes to ability on the links.

The 11-year-old won a US Kids Golf event at Hammock Creek golf course in Palm City, Florida, over the weekend and he put on quite a dominant show in the process. Woods won the nine-hole tournament by five strokes, shooting a 3-under 33 to clear finish atop the field. Charlie had a clean round, tallying three birdies and no bogeys.

Michelle Wie taking the rest of the year off

JUPITER, Fla. >> Michelle Wie says she’ll take a break for the rest of the year to try to get healthy.

Wie had surgery on her right hand in October and tried to return in February, completing one tournament. She sat out a month and returned to the LPGA Tour’s first major and to her hometown event in Hawaii, both times missing the cut. After withdrawing from the U.S. Women’s Open, the 29-year-old Wie played in the Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National and shot rounds of 84-82.

In a tweet today, Wie says, “After doing everything I could to play this year, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off from competitive golf.” She says that will be her best chance to “finally get healthy.”

Michelle Wie engaged

Michelle Wie is engaged!

On Sunday, the golfer, 29, announced that her boyfriend Jonnie West popped the question.

“My person for life!!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #WieGoesWestthis link opens in a new tab @jonniewest4” Wie captioned a slideshow of photos from the moment West — the son of former Lakers star Jerry West — proposed in San Francisco.

In the first photo, West, 30, can be seen smiling up at Wie while down on one knee.

In the next photo, both Wie and West smiled at the camera, with the golf star showing off her massive engagement ring by placing her hand over West’s shoulder.

For the last shot, the lovebirds shared a sweet embrace with a beautiful garden of pink and red flowers in the background.

Wie wins in Singapore

SINGAPORE >> Michelle Wie holed a 36-foot putt from off the green on the final hole to win the Women’s World Championship by one stroke today and capture her first LPGA tournament since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

With four players in contention to win on the last hole, Wie managed to separate herself from the pack when she drained her lengthy birdie putt on the 72nd hole at the Sentosa Golf Club for a final round of 7-under 65 to finish at 17-under 271.

The 28-year-old from Honolulu, who led the tournament after three rounds a year ago before fading on the last day, leaped into the air and clenched her fist in celebration as the ball disappeared into the bottom of the cup.

But she still faced an anxious wait before being declared the champion.

“Winning is everything. I mean, there is no better feeling than when you think you sink that winning putt. It’s a high, for sure,” Wie said.

“You go out there, and it’s this feeling that gets you going. It’s this feeling that makes you practice. It’s that winning putt that makes you practice for hours and hours and hours, and even the hard times, it gets you going back. You know that good feeling is on the other side.”


It was Wie’s fifth LPGA Tour victory and the first since winning the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

Michelle Wie to have appendix removed

OTTAWA, Ontario >> Michelle Wie was set to have surgery today to remove her appendix.

Wie withdrew before the final round of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and was taken to Ottawa Hospital for the surgery.


“Further details on her condition will be provided when available,” her agency, IMG, said in a statement.

The 27-year-old Wie was tied for 23rd, six strokes behind leaders Mo Martin and Nicole Broch Larsen after three rounds at Ottawa Hunt.

Wie was 1-2-0 last week in the United States’ Solheim Cup victory over Europe in Iowa. Ranked 30th in the world, she tied for third in the Women’s British Open and has seven top-10 finishes this season.

Bill Kwon

It’s fitting that during the same week in which Bill Kwon’s life was celebrated the University of Hawaii football team is preparing to play an opponent with a starting safety named Weston Steelhammer.

Two of the many things Kwon loved were UH sports and athletes with great names.

The longtime Star-Bulletin sportswriter and editor got such a kick out of the latter that he’d pore through the high school rosters each year in search of unique names to write a column about.

There was Maunakea Mossman and Cash Petty. Bruddah Choy Foo, Sista Palakiko, Boy and Pal Eldredge.

Datsun Nihipali — who did not change his first name to Nissan in 1986. And who could forget Earvin and Magic Atuaia? Or Allen Allen and Samoa Samoa?

Honolulu Mika and Hawaii Mika.

His favorite was Laborday Hunkin.

Too bad Kwon, who died two weeks ago at age 82, had retired before Wave Ryder (who ended up at the Naval Academy, of course) and Peanut Butter Kaaialii made names for themselves in Hawaii high school sports. He would’ve had so much fun writing about them.

Kwon had his serious side, but he never forgot sports were supposed to be enjoyed — even if you were a Red Sox fan who had to endure (stuff) like Bucky #$%^ing Dent, bled green while your beloved ’Bows lost to BYU every year, and waited patiently for Michelle Wie to live up to the hype.

He was the first daily newspaper editor to give a rough-around-the-edges kid a chance to work in sports, first with high school football stats in 1981. My first writing assignment came a year later.

I was eager, and Kwon gave me all I could handle. A lot of high school baseball and local golf. Tractor pulls and youth soccer. But also a few tastes of bigger events, like the Pro Bowl and the Hawaiian Open. It was all great on-the-job training.

As an editor, Kwon was patient and understanding. He was a teacher who corrected privately and tactfully.
As a columnist, he was clever yet meticulous. Critical at times, but fair.

And it was obvious which sport was his favorite.

“He taught me about golf,” said retired Star-Bulletin sportswriter Randy Cadiente. “How to cover it. But especially how to play it.”

I can’t remember him losing his temper. Ever.

He was Mr. Consistency as a columnist.

“I remember calling him once with a question and I can’t even remember what it was about,” said Clyde Mizumoto, who edited Kwon’s column for 10 years.

“He was professional, always on time,” said Curtis Murayama, the Advertiser’s sports editor at the time and now the Star-Advertiser’s deputy sports editor.

I was fortunate to have Kwon as a mentor and also to be part of his unofficial book club. We shared good reads for many years, and good conversation until just a few weeks before he passed.

On Thursday at Waialae Country Club, speakers representing the many facets of his life recalled Bill’s wit and his vast knowledge and appreciation of many subjects. Mostly, though, we talked about what he meant to us as a friend.

David Ishii, the great golf champion, noted it was “the liveliest and funnest” celebration of life he’d been to.

I drove home smiling, remembering Bill did finally get to see the Red Sox win three World Series, the ’Bows thrash BYU a few times, and Michelle Wie capture an LPGA major.

-- Dave Reardon, Star Advertiser, 10/21/16

Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer, a seven-time major winner who brought golf to the masses and became the most beloved figure in the game, died Sunday, a source close to the family confirmed to Golfweek. He was 87.

No one did more to popularize the sport than Palmer. His dashing presence singlehandedly took golf out of the country clubs and into the mainstream. Quite simply, he made golf cool.

“I used to hear cheers go up from the crowd around Palmer,” Lee Trevino said. “And I never knew whether he’d made a birdie or just hitched up his pants.”

Palmer, of Latrobe, Pa., attended Wake Forest University on a golf scholarship. At age 24, he was selling paint and living in Cleveland, just seven months removed from a three-year stint in the Coast Guard when he entered the national sporting consciousness by winning the 1954 U.S. Amateur at the Country Club of Detroit.

“That victory was the turning point in my life,” he said. “It gave me confidence I could compete at the highest level of the game.”

Palmer’s victory set in motion a chain of events. Instead of returning to selling paint, Palmer played the next week in the Waite Memorial in Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pa., where he met Winifred Walzer, who would become his wife of 45 years until her death in 1999. On Nov. 17, 1954, Palmer announced his intentions to turn pro, and golf would never be the same.

In his heyday, Palmer famously swung like he was coming out of his shoes.

“What other people find in poetry, I find in the flight of a good drive,” Palmer said.

He unleashed his corkscrew swing motion, which produced a piercing draw, with the ferocity of a summer squall. In his inimitable swashbuckling style, Palmer succeeded with both power and putter. In a career that spanned more than six decades, he won 62 PGA Tour titles between 1955 and 1973, placing him fifth on the Tour’s all-time victory list, and collected seven majors in a seven-year explosion between the 1958 and 1964 Masters.

Palmer didn’t lay up or leave putts short. His go-for-broke style meant he played out of the woods and ditches with equal abandon, and resulted in a string of memorable charges. At the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills near Denver, Palmer drove the first green and with his trademark knock-kneed, pigeon-toed putting stance went out and birdied six of the first seven holes en route to shooting 65 and winning the title in a furious comeback.

“Palmer on a golf course was Jack Dempsey with his man on the ropes, Henry Aaron with a three-and-two fastball, Rod Laver at set point, Joe Montana with a minute to play, A.J. Foyt with a lap to go and a car to catch,” wrote Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray.

Even Palmer’s setbacks were epic. He double-bogeyed the 18^th hole at Augusta in the 1961 Masters after accepting congratulations from a spectator he knew in the gallery. Palmer lost playoffs in three U.S. Opens, the first to Jack Nicklaus in 1962; the second to Julius Boros in 1963; and the third to Billy Casper in 1966 in heart-breaking fashion. Palmer blew a seven-stroke lead with nine holes to go in regulation at the Olympic Club and lost to Casper in an 18-hole playoff the next day.

Arnold Daniel Palmer, born Sept. 10, 1929, grew up in the working-class mill town of Latrobe, in a two-story frame house off the sixth tee of Latrobe Country Club, where his father, Milfred “Deacon” Palmer, was the greenskeeper and professional.

Palmer was 3 years old when his father wrapped his hands around a cut-down women’s golf club in the classic overlapping Vardon grip, and instructed him to, “Hit it hard, boy. Go find it and hit it hard again.”

Palmer’s combination of matinee-idol looks, charisma and blue-collar background made him a superstar just as golf ushered in the television era. He became Madison Avenue’s favorite pitchman, accepting an array of endorsement deals that generated millions of dollars in income on everything from licensed sportswear to tractors to motor oil and even Japanese tearooms.

Credit goes to agent Mark McCormack, who sold the Palmer personality and the values he represented rather than his status as a tournament winner. Palmer’s business empire grew to include a course-design company, a chain of dry cleaners, car dealerships, as well as ownership of Bay Hill Resort & Lodge in Orlando. He even bought Latrobe Country Club, which his father helped build with his own hands and where as a youth Palmer was permitted only before the members arrived in the morning or after they had gone home in the evening.

Palmer designed more than 300 golf courses in 37 states, 25 countries and five continents (all except Africa and Antarctica), including the first modern course built in China, in 1988.

Palmer led the PGA Tour money list four times, and was the first player to win more than $100,000 in a season. He played on six Ryder Cup teams, and was the winning captain twice. He is credited with conceiving the modern Grand Slam of the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship during a conversation with golf writer Bob Drum on a flight to Ireland for the 1960 Canada Cup. Palmer won the Masters four times, the British Open twice and the U.S. Open once.

It was Palmer who convinced his colleagues they could never consider themselves champions unless they had won the Claret Jug. Nick Faldo, during Palmer’s farewell at St. Andrews in 1995 may have put it best when he said, “If Arnold hadn’t come here in 1960, we’d probably all be in a shed on the beach.” Mark O’Meara went a step further. “He made it possible for all of us to make a living in this game,” he said.

In 1974, Palmer was one of the original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame. As he grew older, a shaky putter let Palmer down, but his popularity never waned. The nascent Senior PGA Tour hitched its star to golf’s first telegenic personality when Palmer turned 50. He relished winning again and became a regular on the senior circuit, remaining active until 2006.

Michelle Wie on Hawaii Five-O

Michelle Wie, by most accounts, was boffo in her acting debut on Hawaii Five-0 last week, but the budding thespian was a bit harder on herself than others.

For sure, Wie, who spoke with reporters on Wednesday ahead of this week’s Honda LPGA Thailand event, had a fantastic time playing herself in the show shot in her native state. The reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion did, however, have some notes for her on-screen persona.

"It was weird," Wie said about her cameo appearance as herself.

Billy Casper

SAN DIEGO -- Billy Casper, one of the most prolific winners on the PGA Tour who was overshadowed at the height of his career by the "Big Three," died Saturday at his home in Utah. He was 83.

Bob Casper said his father died quickly and peacefully with wife Shirley at his bedside. They had been married 62 years. Casper passed out in the clubhouse at the Masters last year, had work on his heart and recovered from a bout of pneumonia over Thanksgiving. His son said Casper was going to cardio rehab for the past four months and was doing well until he started to feel badly in the past week.

In any other era, Casper might have commanded more attention than he did.

He won 51 times on the PGA Tour, putting him at No. 7 on the career list behind only Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Byron Nelson. His three major championships include the 1966 U.S. Open, one of golf's most remarkable comebacks. He rallied from a 7-shot deficit on the back nine at Olympic Club to tie Palmer, and he beat him in an 18-hole playoff.

Casper also won the 1959 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and the 1970 Masters. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978.

But he was overshadowed by the "Big Three" -- Palmer, Nicklaus and Gary Player, whose rivalry sparked a revival in golf in that era. Part of that was the marketing of Mark McCormack at IMG. Casper originally signed with IMG and then left.

From 1962 through 1970, Casper and Nicklaus won 33 times on the PGA Tour. Palmer won 30 times. According to Golf Digest, Casper's winning rate of 9.2 percent trails only Nicklaus (12 percent) and Woods (26 percent) of all golfers who began their careers after 1950. Casper was a genius with the short game, considered one of the best putters in golf.

He won his first PGA Tour event in the 1956 LaBatt Open over Jimmy Demaret, and Casper won at least once each season for 16 straight years, a streak surpassed only by Nicklaus and Palmer at 17.

But it was that U.S. Open title at Olympic that finally brought him acclaim, even at the expense of Palmer.

"I watched Arnold play such magnificent golf on the front nine. I really felt that he was going to win the tournament," Casper said in 2012 at Olympic Club. "I had checked the scoreboard and I found that I was 2 shots ahead of Jack Nicklaus and Tony Lema, and so I wanted to finish second and informed Arnold of that. And he said, 'I'll try to do everything to help you.' "

More than golf, Casper was devoted to family. He had 11 children, six of them adopted, and became a Mormon just as his career was taking off.

"Everything became easier," Casper told Golf Digest in 2012. "I began to live much more for others, and my life fell into balance."

Casper was born June 24, 1931, in San Diego and began to caddie at San Diego Country Club. He was among the first of the great lineage of golfers in San Diego that included Gene Littler and Mickey Wright.

"Gene was so much better than me. I never beat him as a teenager," Casper told Golf Digest in the 2012 interview. "But I had a lot of inner confidence. I had such a tie with my eyes and my hands. I could look at a telephone pole 40 yards away, take out a 7-iron and hit it 10 times in a row. I had something special. And somehow, I really understood the game, all without having a lot of guidance."

Casper won the PGA Tour money title twice and was player of the year in 1966 and 1970. He won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average five times and still holds the American record in the Ryder Cup for most points. He played on eight teams and was the winning captain in 1969.

Michelle Wie wins U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. — Michelle Wie’s strategy for the 69th United States Women’s Open was to laugh in the face of disaster. She made it her mantra. When bad shots happen, smile and move on.

Much has gone wrong on the golf course for Wie since she made the cut at the 2003 United States Women’s Open as a 13-year-old. Eleven years later, she came to Pinehurst No. 2 still in search of her first major title.

Would misfortune visit Wie again? It was lurking on the 16th hole, a par 4. Cruising along with a three-stroke lead, Wie had to take a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie when her approach settled in a clump of grass. She left the green with a double bogey and her lead over Stacy Lewis, who had closed with a four-under 66, whittled to one.

While Lewis, the world No. 1, made her way to the range to prepare for a possible playoff, Wie rebooted. She hit her tee shot at the par-3 17th to 20 feet and made the putt, a stroke of fortune that would have been inconceivable two years ago.

To rebound from the disaster at 16 with a birdie was a tribute to Wie’s resolve, which was finally — and richly — rewarded. She finished with a par 70 for a 72-hole total of two-under 278 for her fourth career victory on the L.P.G.A. Tour and her first in the continental United States.

“I like to make it hard on myself,” said Wie, who described the victory as “amazing.”

Wie, 24, was the only player to finish in red numbers. Lewis, at 280, was followed by Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, who posted a 69 for a one-over total in her professional debut.

Juli Inkster, playing the tournament for the 35th and final time, carded a 75 to finish tied for 15th at seven over.

Wie said winning the title now meant more than it would have in 2005 or 2006 when she played in the last group on the final day.

“If I won it back then I would have been like, ‘Oh, cool, this is awesome,’ ” Wie said. “But I think it means a lot more to me because I went through so much.”

*** [11/19/14]

A rewarding year for Michelle Wie

Wie and Li

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Michelle Wie is looking at her past. Lucy Li is looking at her immediate future. The topic: Playing your first U.S. Women's Open as a youngster. A very young youngster, that is.

A little more than a decade ago, Wie did it when she was 13. Li has upped the ante, if you will, by qualifying for this event at age 11. Li will tee off here at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday at 7:07 a.m., and she hopes lots of spectators will come out to see her compete.

"I think I like crowds; they don't bother me," Li said. "I play better the more people that come watch me."

Li was sitting in the interview room at Pinehurst on Tuesday, all braces and pigtails and giggles. She talked about loving to go to Dave and Busters, being a big fan of Sherlock Holmes books, and how she celebrated after qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open by going to see "The Amazing Spider-Man 2."

Eight hours earlier, Wie had sat in the same chair, now age 24 and a serious contender to win what would be her first LPGA major championship. But figuratively, Wie had been in this same chair in 2003. Then she was a 13-year-old at the U.S. Women's Open at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon, facing a room full of adult reporters marveling at the Wunderkind.

"I wasn't quite as young as her," Wie said. "But I'm just so excited for her. I met her on Sunday afternoon. She looks so darn cute. I don't think I looked that cute when I was 11. It's definitely a walk back to memory lane."

Wie played in a United States Golf Association event -- the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links -- when she was 10 in 2000. She knows the spotlight that will be on Li this week will be adoring but also a bit critical.

"A lot of people ask me, 'Is that too young? What do you think?' " Wie said of Li, but she could have been talking about herself. "It's a memory that will last her a lifetime. What other 11-year-old can say that they played in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst and got to see the men play as well, too?"

***

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Lucy Li showed her age only when she finished her historic round Thursday at the U.S. Women's Open.

Just like any 11-year-old, she went straight for an ice cream.

The youngest qualifier ever at the Women's Open played a grown-up game at Pinehurst No. 2, except for three holes that made her 8-over 78 look a lot worse than it was and stretched the odds of her becoming the youngest player to make the cut.

"She looks 11. She doesn't talk 11. And she doesn't hit the ball like she's 11," said Catherine O'Donnell, who played with her in a sun-baked opening round on a course that only four days ago hosted the men's U.S. Open.

The sixth-grader from the Bay Area was the star attraction, right down to her Stars & Stripes outfit to celebrate the occasion. She wore a mid-drift shirt patterned after the American flag, with a similar motif for a skirt, complete with silver stars that matched the color of her braces.

Li wound up 11 shots behind leader Stacy Lewis, the No. 1 player in the world who opened with a 67. But one moment was telling.

The kid made a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 fifth hole and headed to the next tee, her braided pigtails swinging with each step. The media and a large gallery followed her right past the adjacent green, where hardly anyone noticed Lewis making her way around Pinehurst with no bogeys.

Only this was more than just a sideshow.

Li missed only one fairway -- by less than a yard. Even though she hit fairway metals into half of the holes, she rarely got out of position. Now if she could only take back three shots that led to big numbers.

"It was a lot of fun. I kind of struggled today, but it was great," Li said, pausing to lick her ice cream between answers. "I mean, it's 8 over. It's not bad. But I was 7 over in three holes, so that's 1 over in 15 holes. So yeah, I just need to get rid of the big numbers."

Michelle Wie wins at home

With six birdies in a final-round 67, Michelle Wie charged to the top of the leaderboard Saturday at the LPGA Lotte Championship and claimed her third win on the tour.

Wie -- just two weeks removed from her runner-up finish in the season's first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship -- birdied Nos. 1, 5 and 6 to quickly move to 12 under. Two holes later, third-round leader Angela Stanford bogeyed to create a tie atop the leaderboard. Wie took the lead with a birdie at the 13th and needed another at the 14th to stay ahead of Stanford, who closed with 73, then pulled away down the stretch for a two-shot win at 14 under par.

"I think being back home, I think just not putting pressure on myself, just feeling all the support from the people this week, and you know just being patient -- I just had a blast this week," Wie told Golf Channel.

Michelle Wie had a good round

KOHLER, Wis. » This is why there was so much hype when she was a kid, why PGA Tour players stopped to watch her swing, why people said Michelle Wie was going to rewrite the history book.

She is capable of making golf look easy. She hasn't done it often this year, or often enough over the years to silence her critics, but she did it in the second round of the 67th U.S. Women's Open on Friday.

Wie made the 6,800-yard Blackwolf Run, lengthened by some 500 yards since 1998, look 500 yards too short.

The willowy 6-footer set up six of her seven birdies with wedge approach shots en route to a 6-under-par 66, her best-ever round at the Women's Open and the lowest score, by two shots, at this championship.

"Obviously, it went well today," Wie said. "It was just fun out there. I just went out and tried to be patient and, you know, when putts start dropping in it makes for a low round."

Halfway through the championship, Wie trailed Suzann Pettersen of Norway by one shot. Pettersen shot a 68 and moved to the top of the leaderboard at 5-under 139.

Wie started on the 10th tee and birdied four of her first six holes, every one with a wedge in her hands. She hit a lob wedge to 15 feet on the par-5 10th, a sand wedge to 4 feet on the par-4 11th, her 52-degree wedge to 10 feet on the par-4 14th and a pitching wedge to 15 feet on the par-4 15th.

"Yesterday, I had a lot of 40-foot putts, 50-foot putts," she said. "Today on the back nine I had a lot of putts within 15 feet. That really helps. It's the difference between lagging them and trying to make them."

On the front nine (her back), Wie birdied Nos. 1, 4 and 6 and bogeyed No. 2.

"I'm pretty stoked to be back in contention and honestly not have to worry about the cut line," she said. "It feels pretty good. I'm looking forward to a good weekend."

Though Wie is only 22, she's been in the public eye for a decade. She was the youngest player to Monday-qualify for an LPGA event at 12 years, 4 months, 14 days and had competed in a handful of PGA Tour events by the time she was 16.

Tom Lehman called Wie's swing "flawless" and Judy Rankin said of her, "I don't know anybody in the game of golf, male or female, that at the age of 14 was a better player than Michelle Wie."

A series of disappointments and questionable career decisions derailed Wie's early momentum, and she was criticized for everything from playing against men to juggling her career and college.

"I didn't really think about it too much," she said. "I'm really grateful for all the opportunities that I have had and all the accomplishments I did when I was younger. But I can't really live in the past.

"What I did is what I did, and I'm really looking forward to what I'm going to do tomorrow and Sunday and in the future."

Wie graduated from Stanford this year but has struggled with her game, having missed the cut in six of her last eight starts. Her best finish in 2012 is a tie for 33rd at the Sybase Match Play Championship.

"Nothing really has changed since the beginning of this year," she said. "I just kind of kept with the same stuff, and I felt like it was coming for the last couple of weeks.

"I have to say it felt pretty good to see my name on that leaderboard. I kind of like that spot up there."

Wie had 13 one-putt greens and needed just 23 putts, one day after taking 35. Pettersen played behind her and had a front-row seat for the fireworks.

"I know she's been struggling this year, but I must say playing behind her I don't think I've ever seen her make as many putts as she did today," Pettersen said. "She was fist-pumping every putt she looked at.

"Michelle is awfully talented and has a lot of game. I think you should give her a break. She just graduated after four years in college. That's pretty impressive to do that on the sideline of trying to compete out here."

Sixty-five players survived the cut at 5-over 149 and will play on the weekend. Among the notables who won't be around are Natalie Gulbis, two-time Women's Open champion Juli Inkster and Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods.

Wie has been working with coaches Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, mostly on the mental side of the game.

"I don't know if anyone gave up on me or not," she said. "I'm sure some did and some didn't. But I never gave up on myself and today was a good reminder to myself that I can do it and I still have it."

***

[7/7/12]  And not so good..

Honolulu's Michelle Wie returned to all-too-familiar form today, shooting a 6-over 78 to fall out of contention at the U.S. Women's Open held on the Championship Course of Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wis.

The Punahou School graduate shot a stunning 66 on Friday to move into a tie for second entering today's third round, but drifted down to a tie for 13th at 2-over 218. She trails third-round leader Na Yeon Choi by 10 shots. The South Korean bettered Wie's second round by one shot. The 65 dropped her to 8-under 208, leaving her six shots clear of countryman Amy Yang, who is in at 2-under 214 after firing a 68 today.

Wie carded back-to-back bogeys to start her round and never recovered. The recent Stanford graduate had only one birdie after making seven on Friday five bogeys and one double at the par-4 11th. Wie's average round this year has been a 75. That's why the 66 on Friday was so shocking. Wie has earned a little less than $20,000 this season on the LPGA Tour. She is currently 40th in the world rankings.

[7/8/12] And even worse..

Honolulu's Michelle Wie continued her downward spiral today at the U.S. Women's Open, closing with an 8-over par 80 that left her tied for 35th at 10-over 298. She was tied for second after a second-round 66, but was 14 over par for the weekend.

As for Wie, she began her day bogeying five of the first seven holes. After five straight pars, she tripled the par-3 13th, bogeyed the par-4 15th and birdied the closing hole, the only red number she had on her card.

Wie has had a disappointing year and has dropped to 40th in the world rankings as a result.

Michelle Wie won't miss graduation this time

PALO ALTO, Calif. » Michelle Wie did not go to Stanford to play golf, at least not the game that brought her worldwide fame as a teenager.

"One time, me and a couple of guys played campus golf," said Wie, sitting in a coffee house on campus after her longest day of classes. "You hit tennis balls with a golf club. You start at the frats and end at the fountain, so that's like one hole. We hit cars, we hit some bikers. Just goofy things that you don't usually do."

These are the goofy times she wouldn't trade for anything.

Moments like tailgating at the Fiesta Bowl before Stanford played Oklahoma State. Sitting — mostly standing, actually — in the student section behind the bench at Cardinal basketball games. Spending all day roasting a pig before a Super Bowl party. Catching up with friends at the Coho Cafe, where cartoon figures of famous alumni are painted on the walls.

There's a caricature of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, and even one of Tiger Woods, who won an NCAA title at Stanford. Wie's face is not among them. She's a student, just like everyone else.

And she appears to be loving life more than ever.

"My life has progressed in various ways than I thought it was going to," said Wie, who laughs easily these days. "I'm more rooted in what I'm doing. I guess that's called growing up."

For much of her teenage years, all Wie heard was that she was going about life the wrong way. She was playing too much golf, way too early. She was playing against the men. She turned pro as a junior in high school.

Turns out she knew what she was doing all along.

Wie wins in Canada

WINNIPEG, Manitoba » In some ways, this win may have been more special than the first.

Punahou graduate Michelle Wie closed with a 2-under 70 yesterday for a three-shot win at the CN Canadian Women's Open, her second career victory on the LPGA Tour.

Wie, who was 12 under for the tournament, earned the winner's check of $337,500 in the $2.25 million event at the St. Charles Country Club -- the LPGA's only stop in Canada.

Wie had five birdies, including on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes.

"I made a lot of crucial putts today," said Wie, who at 10 years old was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Jiyai Shin of South Korea shot a 73 and tied for second with Kristy McPherson (66), defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway (69) and South Korea's Jee Young Lee (69).

Wie led wire-to-wire after an opening 65 and was tied with Shin for the lead entering the final round at 10 under.

MIchelle Wie wins first LPGA title

Honolulu's Michelle Wie won the first LPGA event of her career on Sunday, fulfilling the promise of a decade with a 3-under par 69 to win the Lorena Ochoa Invitational by two strokes over Paula Creamer.

Wie finished off the victory in style, hitting a greenside bunker shot to 6 inches on the 18th hole and then tapping in for a birdie.

The 20-year-old Wie raised both arms in the air — her putter in her right hand — and then put her hand over her mouth. After pulling the ball out of the hole, she turned to the gallery, looked to the sky and let out a large sigh of relief.

Wie hopped several times and kept pumping her right fist over and over. After all the expectations, her long wait was over.

Solheim Cup teammates Morgan Pressel and Creamer showered Wie on the 18th green after the winning putt.

"Just seeing them come out and pour beer all over me, it was a great feeling," Wie said. "I've always seen it on TV and I've always wanted people to pour beer on me. It was as great as I thought it was."

Wie unbeaten as Americans retain Solheim Cup

Honolulu's Michelle Wie held off Europe's Helen Alfredsson, 1 up, in singles today to finish undefeated and help the United States retain the Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.

Wie went 3-0-1 in her first Solheim Cup after being a captain's pick to the United States team.

Morgan Pressel delivered the winning point with her 3-and-2 victory over Anna Nordqvist today, giving the United States 14 points and one of the most coveted titles in women's golf.This is the third straight time the Americans have won the Solheim Cup, and eighth overall. Europe has never won it on U.S. soil.

Wie, playing in the third of 12 singles matches today, went out to a 3 up lead after seven holes. Alfredsson, however, rallied to win Nos. 8, 9 an 11 to square the match. Wie and Alfredsson halved the next three holes before Wie won Nos. 15 and 16 to go dormie-2 (2 up with two holes left).

Alfredsson sent the match to the final hole when she won the 17th with a par to cut Wie's lead to 1 up. Wie missed her 25-foot par for par. The golfers halved the 18th hole with pars to give Wie the victory.

Wie teamed with Morgan Pressel to halve her first match with Europe's Catriona Matthew and Maria Hjorth in four-ball on the opening day of the Cup. On Day 2, she won two matches, a four-ball with Christina Kim (5 and 4) over Alfredsson and Tania Elosegui and foursome with Cristie Kerr (1 up) over Anna Nordqvist and Hjorth.

LPGA commissioner resigns

Under pressure by the women golf tour's top stars, Carolyn Bivens has resigned as LPGA commissioner. Her exit is a positive move at trying to reverse the tour's dwindling schedule of events and bring it back to Hawaii.

Bivens made the decision after 15 tour members, including Lorena Ochoa, Christie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Se Ri Pak, presented the demand to the LPGA's board of directors. Bivens was believed to be negotiating a buyout from her contract, which was due to expire next year.

The LPGA tour consisted of 35 events in 2005 but has only 10 title contracts for 2010, having lost seven, including all three tournaments in Hawaii, in the past year alone. The major reason has been the downward economy, but Bivens had been unwilling to negotiate with sponsors on purse sizes and the cost of tournaments, asking them to contribute more to the cost of maintaining tournaments and rejecting their wishes to reduce the purse, which has averaged $1.77 million.

Bivens, a former advertising executive, has stumbled since her first year as LPGA commissioner. She talked about hoping to "turn the buzz and the interest and the conversations into a commercial success," with a youth movement led by Creamer and Hawaii's Michelle Wie. Instead, she demanded at the 2006 Fields Open that media yield proprietary rights to their stories and photos to the LPGA, causing the Star-Bulletin and, most notably, the Associated Press to withdraw their reporters and photographers from the tournament.

Bivens caused more anger when she introduced a proposal that foreign-born players be proficient in English or face possible suspension. She dropped the proposal after severe criticism. Fewer than half of this past week's U.S. Women's Open players are Americans. More than 40 tour members are from South Korea, including Eun Hee Ji, who won the Open on Sunday and spoke to the media through a translator.