• Wie tied for lead after two rounds of Q-School
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It’s tough to get much out of the leaders here at LPGA Q-School. Michelle Wie speaks several languages, but won’t talk. Shiho Oyama, who is tied with Wie at 10 under, speaks only Japanese. It’s a week of action, not words.
Wie showed us plenty with her stout 7-under 65 Dec. 4, the day’s low round on the Champions Course. She pulled out driver 11 times, hit 13 greens and 11 fairways. The 19-year-old is so committed to her silence, she has refused to give LPGA media coordinators even one quote about her play until Sunday. There are as many national print outlets in Daytona as there were at last month’s ADT Championship, the LPGA’s marquee event.
Liz Janangelo believes Wie is misunderstood, and said it’s only a matter of time before people get to know the towering teen. Janangelo roomed with Wie at the 2004 Curtis Cup and said it’s too bad Wie isn’t miked up while she plays. The Duke grad found her American teammate to be quite funny.
“She has a good heart,” Janangelo said. “Everyone will be able to see that soon enough.”
Moments after Wie finished her round at the Champions Course, Oyama put the finishing touches on a 2-under 70 at the Legends. In contrast to Wie, there was one American reporter and one Japanese reporter waiting for her outside the scoring tent. Oyama smiled profusely as she spoke, using her agent as an interpreter.
“I hit almost every green today, so that helped,” said Oyama, the 2006 JLPGA money leader. “I like the Legends course, but I made a 64 on the Champions Course yesterday, so I like that one better.”
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SCHOOL’S OUT: College golf’s top-ranked player is done with school – no matter happens this week. Arizona State’s Anna Nordqvist won’t return to campus next semester to finish out her junior season. The 6-foot Swede shot 74-71 in her Q-School debut and is tied for 58th.
“It feels like I want to move on,” said Nordqvist, still wearing an ASU shirt. The Sun Devils finished the fall semester ranked No. 1 by
Golfweek.
Nordqvist won the Ladies British Open Amateur this summer and earned low amateur honors at the Ricoh Women’s British Open (T-42). She also led Sweden to the World Amateur Team Championship in Australia this fall and captured her second college title at the Derby Invitational.
Nordqvist’s college professors allowed her to take final exams early so that she could go to Q-School and leave ASU in good academic standing.
“Anna went about it the right way, so she wouldn’t hurt her team or her school,” said ASU coach Melissa Luellen. “We’re looking forward to the fusion of new energy.”
ASU welcomes Europe’s top amateur, Carlota Ciganda, in January along with Giulia Molinaro. Both Luellen and Nordqvist say the team supported her decision to leave, though the NCAA Championship hangs in the balance.
Nordqvist told ASU coaches she might try LET Q-School if things didn’t go well with the LPGA. As of now, the 21-year-old isn’t ready to talk about the what-ifs.
“This week isn’t going to determine your future,” she said.
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CHEAP SHOT: Janell Howland aced the 14th hole on the Champions Course with a 7-iron from 152 yards. The hole-in-one boosted the Lamar grad to T-6 on the leaderboard after carding a 67 on the Champions track. Howland has competed on the Duramed Futures Tour the last seven seasons, recording her last ace three years ago in El Paso. The developmental tour has long offered the Duramed Hole-in-One Challenge, giving players a $500 check for each ace.
Needless to say, Howland walked away empty-handed this time.
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MADE FOR TV: Lisa Strom made her first trip to Q-School in 2000 and likes the changes they’ve made to the place. Her name is on a leaderboard – literally – for the time this year as they’ve added one next the 18th green. She especially likes the live scoring, so that family and friends can keep up back home. The caddie bibs and bleachers are also a nice touch.
“ ... and whatever else Michelle (Wie) brings,” Strom joked.
Strom’s 6-under 66 featured six birdies and what her coach calls the “super-duper Sahara”: Fairway bunker/greenside bunker/hole-out for birdie on No. 11. To catch that kind of action they need a television broadcast.
Maybe next year.
Posted: 12/4/2008
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