Clarke and teen wonder fail to make cut

Michelle Wie shot an amazing two-under-par 68 in the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii but missed the cut by a stroke.

The 14-year-old local girl, in her first appearance on the PGA Tour, flirted with history at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu but came up just short as her even-par 140 total was one too many.

After a 72 in the first round, Wie teed off in the final group today and was told she needed to shoot at least two under to have a chance of making the cut - she achieved that but unluckily missed out on the weekend.

A disappointed Wie said: “I cannot believe it. I thought I just had to make birdie (on the last). They said it was 139, and I added 70 and 70 together and was like, ‘Oh no’.”

Despite the ability to drive the ball 300 yards, Wie’s long game was not particularly good as she hit just eight fairways and eight greens in regulation.

But her short game was of the highest order as she excelled at pitching, chipping and putting.

Wie sank two birdies of over 50 feet as well as a 17-footer at the par-four 16th, which gave her a realistic chance of making the cut.

She pulled her tee shot at the par-three 17th but again demonstrated her sharp short game to get up-and-down for par.

That left Wie needing an eagle at the par-five 18th, where she split the fairway with a drive measured at 286 yards, leaving 252 yards to the hole.

But she pulled her second shot left of the green, 80 feet from the cup, and her last chance faded when a chip stopped four feet from the hole and she had to settle for birdie.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Steve Allan shot a superb eight-under 62 to grab the lead at 11 under 129 – one shot ahead of Harrison Frazar.

Defending champion Ernie Els is two strokes back in third place, one stroke ahead of Briton Luke Donald who shot a second successive 66.

Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke failed to make the cut after a 69 left him alongside Wie.