Wie storms to the front

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September 12, 2010

Michelle Wie has stormed to the top of the leaderboard at the P&G NW Arkansas Championship with a second-round 64

Michelle Wie has stormed to the top of the leaderboard at the P&G NW Arkansas Championship with a stunning second-round 64
The six-foot Hawaiian-schooled American was in a group that started the day two off lead held by Morgan Pressel, but went seven under to go three clear.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng finished joint second after carding 68, including four birdies and a bogey on the par-three 17th.
South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi also signed for a 68 after birdies at the seventh, 10th and 11th holes.
US veteran Juli Inkster is also in the chasing group on seven under after shooting a 66 with six birdies and a bogey on seven.
Pressel was one over for the day and slipped back to four under overall and a tie for eighth.
“It was a fun round today,” Wie said. “I just went out there, played shot after shot and had fun.”
Wie teed off from the 10th, and five birdies and an eagle later, made the turn in a stunning 7-under 28, the lowest nine holes of the year and also in the four-year history of the tournament.
After holing a 20-footer for birdie on 10, she holed out from 80 yards on 12, made a 3-footer on 14, two more 20-footers on 15 and 16, then hit her second shot on the par-5 18th through a bunker and onto the green, where she rolled in a 35-footer for eagle to get to 7-under.
Wie cooled off considerably after the turn, mixing two birdies with two bogeys for an even-par 36.
Did she let yhje magic number of 59 get to her after she reached 8-under with seven holes to play?
“No,” she said. “It actually didn’t cross my mind at all. I was just focusing on the next shot and trying to give myself birdie opportunities.”
Wie will play with Juli Inkster in Sunday’s final round .
“It’ll be ‘Beauty and the Beast,'” Inkster, 50, quipped. “Michelle’s obviously playing very well and playing with a lot of confidence. I can’t really see her messing up, so we’re going to have to go out there and shoot a round like she shot today.”
As her playing partner, Yani Tseng, one of three players at 7-under chasing the big-hitting leader, had a front-row seat on Wie’s blistering front nine
“It was fun to watch,” Tseng said. “You know, we’re just like, ‘Wow, she makes everything.’ She hits lots of great shots, great putts; yes it was just fun to watch.”