Michelle Wie finishes 2nd at SBS Open after blowing 3 shot lead with 9 holes to play; Angela Stanford wins
Playing in her home state of Hawaii, Michelle Wie looked destined to make a huge statement in her 1st tourney as a LPGA member. Rolling in putts left and right, Michelle opened up a 3 stroke lead heading into the back nine of the final round of the SBS Open at Turtle Bay. Apparently, Michelle watched a lot of Tiger because she was fist pumping with every birdie made.
Then the wheels came unhinged. Wie double-bogeyed 11 after flailing a fairway wood off the tee into some junk on the right. Meanwhile, playing partner Angela Stanford got hot, rattling 3 straight birdies to take a 2 shot lead. Wie could have pulled things to 1-stroke down, but she yipped a 3 foot birdie putt on 16. Game over.
I got a chance to watch the final 9 holes. Michelle Wie looked so nervous she could have been a mattress, given how tightly coiled she was. No doubt she must have felt like the tournament was hers to win–or lose–after opening up a 3-shot lead with only 9 to play. I was a little bit surprised her caddy didn’t try to crack a few jokes to lighten her mood because she looked so tense down the stretch. Only when she was too far down to Stanford did Wie break a smile. Might have been better this time around if her dad was caddying. Maybe he could have settled Michelle down.
Parting shots: Angela Stanford is an incredible player, clearly on the rise. From a business perspective for the LPGA, though, would have been far better had Michelle Wie won. Oh well.
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