No exemptions, no sponsors’ invites – just plain hard work. Michelle Wie is going back to basics in her attempts to play on the LPGA Tour next season, and she’s doing alright.
The Hawaiian advanced to the final round of qualifying for the Tour when she finished fourth at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
Her closing round of 71 gave her a total of eight-under 280, eight strokes behind South Korea’s Ahn Sun-ju in the Palm Springs sectionals.
She was tied with Japan’s Shiho Oyama and American Stacy Lewis. Her next step is the final qualifying in December, where a good position will earn her an LPGA Tour card.
The 18-year-old Wie has previously played only intermittently on the tour while pursuing her studies. She has also teed off in a string of men’s PGA Tour events, without ever making the cut.
She has been the target of much criticism for her choice of tournaments, and the hype that surrounded her couple of years ago has certainly diminished.
Sometime ago, she said her ambition is to figure on the PGA Tour on a full-time basis and play at The Masters.
However, having never even won a LPGA Tour event, added to failing to reach the weekend on the men’s tour, shows that she is a long way from realising her dream.
But she’s so far doing things right in trying to get on the women’s tour and she will be among the favourites in December.
Wie is one of 32 players from the California event who progress to the final qualifying tournament in Daytona Beach, Florida from December 3-7.
Joining them will be the top 30 golfers from the Venice, Florida sectionals, which will be played from September 30 to October 3.
Also include in the field are current tour players trying to enhance their priority standing and 10 players from the Futures Tour.
