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Wie loses in quarterfinals at Men's Amateur Public Links
July 15, 2005
LEBANON, Ohio (Ticker) - Michelle Wie's bold and unconventional goal of playing in the 2006 Masters ended with a remarkably familiar refrain: Wait 'til next year.
Wie was run out of the U.S. Men's Amateur Public Links Championship on Friday morning, never leading in a 5 and 4 loss to Clay Ogden of Brigham Young University.
It was a disappointing end for Wie, the 15-year-old Hawaiian who was the first female to qualify for a men's USGA event. She had not trailed in her first two match-play victories but could not keep up with Ogden, who advanced to the semifinals.
Since 1989, the winner of this event has been invited to play in The Masters, which has a strict, controversial policy regarding women at the Augusta National Golf Club. Wie needed to win a pair of matches Friday and a 36-hole final Saturday to become eligible.
"Obviously, I am very disappointed, but it is not the end of the world," she said. "I obviously think I could have gone farther, but I can't do anything about it right now. I am glad that I got this far.
After a shaky start in stroke play, Wie made it to the round of eight, making her an automatic qualifier for next year's tournament in Bremerton, Washington. She had to win a sectional qualifier to gain entry this year.
Wie was never able to build any momentum against Ogden, who birdied four of the first five holes on the Shaker Run Golf Club course to take a 4-up lead and picked up another hole when Wie bogeyed the ninth.
Wie won the 10th hole with a birdie but gave it back as Ogden birdied the 11th hole. The players halved the next three holes with pars, ending Wie's run. She was 2-over-par, while Ogden was 4-under.
"It's hard to make birdies, said Wie, who won the 2003 Women's Amateur Public Links title and was the runner-up last year. "It wasn't like I was playing bad. It wasn't like I was losing with a lot of (bogeys). It's just that he played really great."
Playing perhaps the most pressure-packed match of his young career, Ogden ignored the huge gallery and multiple media. He moved one step further than he did last year, when he lost to eventual champion Ryan Moore in the quarterfinals.
"You can't ever really relax," Ogden said. "You just keep the gas on and keep it going. Once you get up two, three and four holes, you get a little more relaxed. But you can't relax playing someone of her caliber, just because she can make a few birdies at any time."
On Thursday, Wie was a front-runner, never trailing in eliminating Ball State junior C.D. Hockersmith, 6 and 5, and Jim Renner, 3 and 1. Her 8-over 148 tied with eight others for 49th place in stroke play.
At last week's John Deere Classic, Wie shot a 1-under 141 but failed in a bid to become the first female to make the cut in a men's PGA Tour event in 60 years as she collapsed down the stretch.
Participating on a sponsor's exemption, Wie also has played the PGA Sony Open the last two years in her hometown of Honolulu. She missed the cut by one stroke in 2004 and by seven strokes this year.
Despite her relative success against the best men, Wie has yet to beat the best women. She finished second in the LPGA Championship and was co-leader after three rounds of the U.S. Women's Open before staggering to a final-round 82.
ACK!
WTF??? She was schooling everyone. 
What happened? 
Damn, I didn't hear about this in the local news...maybe it'll hit later on. But then again, she plays a better golf game than I could EVER play...
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