Michelle: “Did You See?”

Will Michelle Wie (14, Korean name: Wie Sung-mi), the super amateur who plays equal to professionals, quiet the controversy regarding her exemption from regional qualification?

Wie is currently in 7th place (one under-par 212), scoring an even 71 (five birdies, one double-bogey, three bogeys) in the third round of the 59th U.S. Women’s Open (total purse $3.1 million), the third major tournament of the season, which is being held in the Orchards Golf Club (par 71) in South Hadley, Massachusetts, from July 1 to 4.

With contenders such as Kim Mi-hyun (KTF, two over-par 215), Park Se-ri (CJ, four over-par 217), and Park Ji-eun (Nike Golf, nine over-par 222) all over-par, Wie is the only amateur out of the eleven players scoring under-par.

In particular, considering that Wie has not hit over-par with 1,000 spectators following her for three days, it is almost certain that she will earn an automatic ticket to next year’s tournament: one of the twelve criteria in order to enter the U.S. Women’s Open is to place higher than 20th place in last year’s event.

If the sole leader (seven under par 206) Jennifer Rosales (Philippines), and Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) and two other players in second place ruin themselves in the middle of a fierce competition to win, Wie can achieve similar or better results than this season’s first Major event, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, where she placed 4th.

In that case, Wie will repay her gratitude to the USGA (U.S. Golf Association) which made her the first amateur ever to be exempt from regional qualifying rounds, and at the same time, silence those raising issues of preferential treatment.

The USGA justified itself from accusations of preferential treatment by declaring, “Michelle has entered 10 LPGA regulation tournaments and qualified for 9 of those, and had Wie been a professional, she would have been 28th on the money list at the exemption (within 35th on the money list) deadline.

Another point to watch, is the competition between Wie and Paula Creamer (17), the U.S. national team’s ace. Creamer, who is 12th (even-par 213), openly expressed her discontent before the tournament, saying, “It is unfair to give a special exemption only to Michelle. I have beaten her twice before.”

Wie will have entered the fourth round by 2:30 a.m. July 5 (Korea Time) as she is paired up with three-game winner veteran Pat Hurst (36, U.S.).

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com