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Michelle Wie

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2008 Mid-Pacific Open

Day 4-- What a difference a day makes. No red numbers today. Two even par rounds by Tommy Kim and Leland Lindsay were the best anyone could generate. Winner Tadd Fujikawa was 10 strokes over his day two score. David Ishii drained a long putt on 18 to take second and from the club house it looked like that putt was in the hole or a rather long chip back for par. Me? I actually beat Regan Lee. Well on one hole anyway. I believe he was 3 under after 3 and two over after 7. He and I had similar experiences on the par 3 # 6. We both missed on the right and then couldn’t stop our chip from rolling off the green. Lucky for me I was able to chip on and sink a putt that required me to keep from grounding the club for fear of a wind generated penalty. Sunday pins and Windward winds ruled the day.

Stephanie Kono moved up from t42 to t33 by virtue of a remarkably consistent 76, 75, 76, 77. Great Job Stephanie!! She ended the event ahead of 17 professionals who made the cut. Playing in tough conditions from tips proved no problem. I now have a 50th anniversary hat autographed by the first woman to make the cut at the Open and I will guarantee you it will not end up on e-bay.

As for the back of the pack perspective my group ended up 91, 93, 94, 97. Event Chair Mike Kawaharada and I shared the lead in the clubhouse. Until the second group finished that is. My 91 beat 7 out of 18 players in the B flight and 5 out of 22 players in A. The 91 was actually good enough to tie the excellent Dr. Glen.

Bob Crowley continued his string of miracle saves with a par on # 13. After hitting the tree guarding the green and almost going out of bounds way down on the right he hit’s a blind prayer onto the green and sinks his putt. It must be the food at PF Changs or having his wife as a caddie. Not that I am superstitious but next year I am going to try some of that awesome Chinese the night before.

For those not able to be there here are some of the holes you would have loved to have played.

#1 Pin behind the bunker on the left. Any putt going form right to left with a little to much speed and whoosh, off the green and down the hill.

# 6 Just ask Regan. Pin back left on the down slope exposed to the wind.

# 8 Back left and again on a down slope. While playing #11 we saw the Diabolical Jason directing the rolling of this green. Another quick green and nasty placement. Great fun.

# 9 On the down slope guarded by the bunker on the right. Starting to sound familiar?

#10 I thought I had that hole wired. It was on the upper shelf behind the bunker on the left. I hit long middle leaving a long but manageable lag putt. Just get it close and bingo a par or at worse a bogie. I got it close, told myself just hit it firm. No scared’em. Well that was a good idea if I could have made the putt. Didn’t realize how fast it was and ended up with a longer putt for bogie Started my round with a 4 putt double. Ouch.

#11 Just as I suspected upper left pin guarded by the bunker and tee all the way back so that it was over 200. Yes the pin was on a bit of an incline. Doubled that hole for a solid 4 over start. Ouch #2.

# 12 Another treat guarded by a bunker and on a down slope.

#15 Back left. Best position? Just off green for an easy chip in. Just ask Keone Gunderson who’s birdie was going to be a sure skin until he found out that Fritz Bruggemeier was actually able to stick that pin and cover him.

Speaking of skins, I think that 3 or 4 were pars! Including #17 with its back left pin.

# 16 was nuts. Fast Freddie managed to figure out that the best approach was actually over the bunker on the left. That seemed suicidal until you think about it. Keeping the bunkers out of play would seem the logical thing to do until you note that almost anything approaching the pin from the right ends up off the green. Word has it that he stuck the pin coming left to right and made his birdie.

Anyway, another great Sunday on a course that Jason and his crew had in great shape. Especially the greens. As is tradition he will take those who put this together out on the course under replicated conditions. I can’t wait to hear how they do!!

Day 3-- Today the pins were easy, depending on how you define easy. Tomorrow Jason said, and I quote, (censored actually) “Hold onto your male parts”, quickly followed by “just your normal Sunday pin placements”. That means that number 11 will likely be all the way in the back, guarded by the bunker on the left, on the edge of a slope, in a swale on the green. Fifteen could be front left so that missing the Green and chipping on would be a good play. As David Ishii commented on Ms. Tucker’s Golf Radio Show many of the pins will be in places that favor a chip and a putt to a two putt.

The course is in great shape and as David said the greens are perfect and like putting on a pool table. Great stuff really, and if the wind kicks up tomorrow life on the Mid Pacific greens will indeed be exciting.

Now for some tidbit bits garnered after today’s round. Pro contender John Lynch was talking about his shot of the day, a chip onto the green that looked as if it would be way short of the pin. Lucky for John the ball landed right on the lip around the green which popped it forward enough to end up with a makeable putt. In the not so luck category John found himself where many of us end up on 18, down on the left by the drainage pipe. He was able to drop. His drop was perfect, setting up ready to be hit. Then rules official Hal, came over and said he had to drop again because his arm was to high (now there is a new one). The second drop went into a divot. Such is the rub of the green.

You know who is doing well, here are some tales from the back of the pack.

There was one putt on #10 that could have been very interesting. Just as he was ready to putt an empty can of Arizona Green Tea was rolling in the wind up onto the green just out of the vision of the player but clearly in view of other two golfers. Not wanting to distract him in mid stroke they remained silent holding their breaths. Just as the ball passed the middle of the roll into the hole the can rolled over the putt line. What would have happened if the can got there a split second earlier and the ball struck it? Would it matter that the can belonged to the player putting? Ah the things that happen on the course.

There were so many interesting snippets of information. I had the pleasure of playing with Bob Crowley and Chairman Mike Kawaharada. Legendary Chairman Mike, a legitimate 13 handicap, was on fire the first nine carding a 39, 10 shots clear of the goat who managed a 49 with a 4 putt 8 on #9, a double on #8, and two triples on #1 and #4. After the turn they traded places with Mike posting a 49 and the goat a 41. Meanwhile Bob pulled some miracles out. On 7 he hooks his drive into the trees on the left, punches out to about 80 yards, leaves about a 13 footer for par and makes it. On 12, after a marginal second shot, he decides to go for the green in three from the rough with a fairway wood (really a bone head decision), he pops it up like a 9 iron, then proceeds to stick the pin and one putt for a par. One 17 he hit’s a drive all of about 150 yards and just in bounds, has to take a drop, hit’s a wood onto the green and two putts for par. Three holes that could easily have put him 6 over resulted in three pars.

Tomorrow will generate more interesting tales. If you get a chance to come out and watch I suggest that it will be worth the effort. The price is right and choosing to follow either the leaders and Tadd or silky smooth Stephanie would be a treat. The good news for me is that my tee time is early enough that I will be able to catch the finishing holes after playing what I hallucinate will be a great finish.

Day 2-- Oh those pin placements! Jason said that Saturday would be moving day and the pins would be a bit friendlier and then Sunday, well it will be Sunday at the open pins. I did see something interesting today as I was walking up # 8. Jason was on green #2 with his putter checking on the roll of the green and I suspect the action around the pin for the next placements. When I saw him later, with his lovely bride, soaking in the accolades for having the course in such great shape, he did admit to “testing” the greens for proper degree of difficulty.

Today was tough and not so tough. Tough because the pins were a bit more difficult than Thursday and not so tough because the usual Windward breezes were absent once again. You can tell from the scores that the better players were able to take advantage and there were once again more red numbers than usual.

Waiting to see where the cut line will be in the various flights was once again the most exciting part of the experience for many. There were the usual tales of woe, including my triple on the last hole, that spiced up the conversations around the leader boards as the scores were posted . If you were at all close and inclined to have a beverage or two with a hundred of your friends then it was a great place to be. If you made the cut then even better.

For those who don’t play in these kinds of events it may be hard to imagine the tension over an 24 inch putt knowing that if you miss it you will have a 4 or 5 footer coming back. I managed to put myself in that position on # 16. I had a down hill left to right slider and I knew that there was little, if any, room for error. Baby the putt and it would break severely but perhaps leave an easy come back. Hit is firm for an easier line and miss and say bye bye to the green. For a spectator off the green it may seem simple, for a competitor trying to make a cut ii is nerve racking. Those are the kinds of stories you hear in the club house at the end of the round.

Another common theme heard round the bar was missing the green on the wrong side. For example on the par three 11th the pin was up and on the far right of the green. That green drops off quickly on the right hand side. I had the miss fortune to hit a shot that was the correct distance but just off to the right . That put me looking up to a green above my head that would slope away from me once the ball was on the green. Result, a double that could have been worse.

But, Saints be praised, in spite of the triple I made the cut right on the line so look forward to telling stories about days three and four from inside the ropes instead of spectating.

Day 1-- Great opening day. Pins were tough but not of the weekend variety and the scores reflected that. I will not bore you with my tale of woe, 4 doubles, two "2 outs" form bunkers, rather lets talk about the women (Girls really). In the A flight they would be 2nd and 3rd. In the B flight 1st and 2nd and leading by 5 and 4 strokes. So can the ladies compete in the men's event from the same tees. Yup. Both Stephanie and Anna drive the ball straighter and farther than most of the men in the B flight, and a good number in the A. Anna was 5 over despite an OB on 15. Stephanie was 4 over. Way to wack'em women!!

This was an unusual day in Lanikai. The winds were absent for most of the day so the course was there for the taking and the number of people under par showed it.

A couple of observations. I ventured out on the course after my round to watch the girls finish and positioned myself between the 12th green and 13th tee box. What blows me away is the club selection on 13 for most pros. They are going off the tee with long irons and rescue clubs and flying the hill. That is definitely a different game than most of us play. Several of the pros were on #12, a long par 5 in two. Ben from the Mid Pac pro shop was one just missing an eagle and leaving a tap in birdie. Great stuff.

Another notable in my view is Alika Bell who carded a 2 under 70 putting another teenager and amateur in good position to win. Youth is definitely making a mark.

Looking forward to a great day tomorrow and dreams of making the cut will be dancing in my head tonight.

Billy the Goat (86 by virtue of pars on the last 4 holes).