Wie wants shot at British Open

Teenage sensation Michelle Wie made a pleasing debut in the Weetabix Women’s British Open but she has already set her sights on playing in the men’s event in the near future.

The 15-year-old amateur from Hawaii tied for third at Royal Birkdale yesterday, having finished joint second in the Evian Masters in France the previous week.

Wie coped with ease with everything the Southport links could throw at her and in atrocious first round weather retained her composure with a 75 before adding scores of 67, 67 and 69 for a 10-under-par total which left her six behind winner Jeong Jang from South Korea.

It was a performance which saw Wie live up to her hype and suggested she could go on an fulfil an ambition by playing in the Open Championship.

The Royal & Ancient changed the rules earlier this year to allow women to take part and that has given Wie the incentive to attempt to tee it up alongside the men in the major.

“I will be investigating ways I can try and qualify,” confirmed Wie, whose ultimate goal is to play in the Masters at Augusta.

She came within three matches of gaining an invitation next April when she reached the quarter-finals of the United States Public Links Championship last month.

Wie has yet to decide when she will turn professional, although her 16th birthday on October 11 seems an obvious date, but her performances over the last fortnight merely underlined what likely impact she will have on the women’s game when she joins the ranks full time.

She is six feet tall and has a swing already rated one of the best in the game but it is her putting which is the weak link in her armoury, evident at Birkdale where she missed numerous chances.

“It was a little frustrating because I felt I could have putted better and been a lot lower,” she said.

“But I was quite pleased and I really enjoyed my first British Open. It was even good to get a chance to play in the bad weather.”

By the time she plays in her second Women’s British Open – at Royal Lytham next year – there is every likelihood she will not be defending the leading amateur trophy but chasing the cash prizes.

For the tiny five feet tall Jang her first professional victory was thoroughly deserved after coming close on several occasions as she shot four sub-70 scores to lead from start to finish.

She joined Se Ri Pak, Grace Park and last month’s US Women’s Open champion Birdie Kim as Korean winners of women’s majors and the 25-year-old now seems certain to be far more than a one-hit wonder.