Wie to take on the men again

Michelle Wie makes her 13th start against the men at the US Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii tomorrow.

Three years ago when she was 14, Wie shocked the sporting world when she scored a second-round 68 in the same event and was only one shot away from surviving the halfway cut. Current world number three Adam Scott was among those who finished behind her.

But the more she has tried the more she has struggled. In her last four tournaments lining up against the men, including her last place at the European Masters in Switzerland, her rounds have been 75, 77, 78, 79, 77, 81, 81 and 80.

Wie’s own view after that dismal run was an inevitable: “I know I can play much better than this. I learn a lot from playing with the men.”

But more and more are questioning the wisdom of her continuing to try, with Australian Stuart Appleby, one of her rivals in a strong field this week, even saying: “I think she came five years too early to try to play the men’s tour. I think she should really just let it go for now.

“She’s not ready for it. She’s certainly not proving anything except that she can’t play with the men at her level right now. It’s getting to the stage where she’ll get criticised too much and she needs to pull the plug and come back when she’s 20, 25.”

The one cut Wie has made against men was last year in South Korea, where the opposition did not come close to what she faces this week. Last week’s winner Vijay Singh, world number two Jim Furyk, Luke Donald and Davis Love are among those trying to take the title off David Toms.