Wie Set to Challenge PGA Men Again

The PGA Tour Sony Open in Hawaii is held in the second week of January every year. Having played at the tournament since 2004, Michelle Wie (picture), 18, of Nike Golf is going to compete with men there again this year.

The 2007 Sony Open to be held at Honolulu Waialae GC (par 70) for four days from January 12 has been the media’s focus for inviting Wie for the past three years. In the 2nd round of the 2004 Sony Open, when Wie was only 15 years old, she surprised the golf world by hitting a 2-under-68. Last year, she made the same record in the 2nd round.

However, the prospect of Wie making the cut at her 4th attempt is not quite bright. She played poorly in PGA Tour events in the second half of last year. After hitting a six-over 77 in the first round of 2006 John Deere Classic, she dropped out of the tournament when she got ill in the second round. At the Omega European Masters, she hit the bottom with a 14-over-158 for the first two days. It was the same at the Casio World Open 2006 in Japan: Wie was last with a 17-over 161.

On the other hand, Vijay Singh of Fiji is going to aim at making a consecutive win, while “Tank” Choi Kyung-joo of Nike Golf, who finished in the 8th at his first PGA Tour, and Wi Chang-soo of TaylorMade will also participate in the tournament.

ysahn@donga.com