SILVIS, Ill. -- Michelle Wie had the number she wanted,proclaimed to everyone on that sparkly buckle on her turquoisebelt, and a historic finish was just four holes away.
After one ill-timed three putt and a stray tee shot, though, shewent from historic to just plain history.
On the brink of becoming the first woman in 60 years to make acut on the PGA Tour, the 15-year-old from Hawaii was out afterfinding big trouble on two of her last four holes in the John DeereClassic. She missed the cut by two strokes, shooting an even-par 71Friday that put her at 1 under for the tournament.
"It was pretty killer," she said. "Even though I finishedbelow par, it still feels [bad] because I played so well the firstnine and then I just totally messed up the back nine."
Wie was trying to become the first woman since Babe DidriksonZaharias in 1945 to make a PGA Tour cut, and she was on track to doit with room to spare after making the turn at 4 under. But shecame apart in stunning fashion, dropping three strokes on Nos. 6and 7, and then missing a last-chance birdie putt on No. 8.
As she walked off No. 9, her final hole, disappointment wasetched across her face.
"It was a great experience," said her father, B.J. Wie."Obviously we're disappointed. Michelle's disappointed. But it wasa great experience and she's got to experience all things ingolf."
J.L. Lewis, the 1999 winner, followed his opening 64 with a 65to take the lead at 13-under 129. Shigeki Maruyama (63) and HunterMahan (68) were second at 11 under. Wie tied for 88th.
"She played very well. Good putter, very good short game,"said Scott Gutschewski, one of Wie's playing partners. "I was veryimpressed with her short game, and she hits the ball straight. So apretty good combination for 15."
Wie played well beyond her years all week, but her inexperiencecaught up to her in those last four holes.
She ran into trouble on No. 6, when she put her first two shotsin bunkers. She still had a chance for par, getting within 20 feetof the cup. But her first putt ran alongside the left edge andrefused to drop, rolling about 5 feet by. She missed that one byinches, too, and had to take a double bogey, her first of the week.
"I guess I was too aggressive with my putt," she said. "Ihadn't made a bogey, and I didn't want to. It felt like astraightforward putt. If I'd hit it a little softer, it would havegone in."
The double bogey dropped her to 2 under, with more trouble tocome.
She pushed her tee shot on No. 7 so far right it bounced on thecart path. She got on the green from 35 yards out, but two-puttedfor another bogey, all but ending her chances for the weekend.
When her 14-foot birdie putt on No. 8 skirted the edge of thecup, the teenager from Hawaii sank to her knees. When she stood up,she looked skyward in disbelief.
"I just really realized how important the last six holes are,"she said. "I'll just have to notice that it's really important andtighten my screws up a little bit."
And there will be a next time. Though B.J. Wie said his daughterdoesn't have any other PGA Tour appearances scheduled, herlong-term goal is to play with the men. She's already played theSony Open twice, missing the cut by a stroke in 2004. She missedthe cut by seven strokes this year.
Wie is playing in the men's U.S. Amateur Public Links next weekat Shaker Run in Lebanon, Ohio.
"On the LPGA Tour, I made the cut on my fourth try," she said."My fourth try [on the PGA Tour] is coming up, so I'm reallylooking forward to that."
A 1-under 70 in the first round put her a stroke over theprojected cut, and Wie came out Friday looking determined to makeup ground. She even wore a belt with a sparkly black "68? on thebuckle, the number she wanted to shoot.
"I got it in France," she said. "I thought it was a reallycool number."
She got off to a quick start, with birdies on two of her firstthree holes, including a spectacular chip shot on the par-3 No. 12.Her tee shot sailed off to the left, and it bounced once beforesmacking spectator Gene Lebo on the right leg above the knee.
"It wasn't getting past me," joked Lebo, who was wearing,appropriately enough, a Hawaiian shirt. "I played linebacker so Iknow how to keep the ball in the field."
The ball dropped into the first row of the gallery about 40 feetfrom the green, but it would have been a lot farther had Lebo's legnot gotten in the way. Wie still had a tough shot, with her ball indeep grass.
But she chipped on, and when the ball rolled slowly into thehole, Wie thrust both of her arms triumphantly in the air beforeslapping hands with her caddie.
"If [Lebo] is reading the newspaper, I want to say, 'Thankyou,' and sorry for your pain," she said. "It turned out great."
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She made the turn at 4 under after coming within 6 inches of thecup from 161 yards out on 18. The crowd of 10,000 greeted her witha standing ovation, and she acknowledged them with a couple ofwaves.
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After tapping in for the birdie, a male fan yelled out, "I loveyou Michelle!" Wie turned and looked, laughing as she scanned thecrowd.
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