At 8:35 this morning, the No. 1 tee at Canoe Brook Country Club’s South Course will look like it never has looked before. It’ll look like a major championship is about to begin.
That’s because 16-year-old wunderkind Michelle Wie will be teeing off to begin her quest to become the first woman to qualify for the men’s U.S. Open. Having already made it through local qualifying, she’ll compete against 152 men for 18 spots to get into the Open in the 36-hole sectional qualifying tournament at the Summit, N.J., club.
In past years, a score of about 4-under 140 has been good enough to qualify.
In past years, this has been a relatively low-key affair, always with a number of PGA Tour pros trying to qualify. Usually there are eight to 10 local reporters covering the event and a couple hundred spectators – most generally related to or friends with the competitors.
Today’s affair is expected to draw thousands of fans and some 200 members of the media. ESPN plans to break into its programming every 30 minutes throughout the day to update viewers on Wie’s progress.
“It’s going to be a circus,” Rick Hartmann, the Atlantic Golf Club pro who will be playing alongside Wie for the two rounds, said. “It does put a whole other spin on qualifying. It’s not like you’re going out and playing with Bernhard Langer. She’s 16 years old and a phenomenal player. . . . It’s going to be a circus atmosphere.”
David Gossett, the sometimes PGA, sometimes Nationwide Tour player also will team with Wie.
“I know everybody in the world is interested in watching her and not me,” he said. “I think it’s great for the game. My situation is to go out there and play like I can, enjoy it and smile, show some poise and have a good day.”
It’ll take a lot of poise from both Gossett and Hartmann, and from Wie, too. She seems oblivious, however, to the pressures that come with her historic pursuit. Accompanied by her swing coach David Leadbetter, she played a practice round at Canoe Brook on Thursday and seems prepared to deal with all the elements.
Jack Nicklaus, for one, was on record this past week as rooting for Wie to make it to Winged Foot for the Open next week.
“I’ve always felt if anybody had golf clubs and was able to qualify and be eligible to play in a golf tournament, they can certainly tee it up,” Nicklaus said. “I don’t care if that’s a man, woman or child. Let them come play. If Michelle Wie has the desire to come play and she has the ability to qualify for the U.S. Open, fantastic. I think it would be wonderful for the game of golf.”
Among the PGA Tour pros in the field today will be two-time major champion Mark O’Meara, one-time major champion Mark Brooks, Billy Andrade, Paul Stankowski, Tom Pernice and J.J. Henry to name only a few.
