Hawaii’s Michelle Wie came up a shot short of catching Brittany Lincicome in Sunday’s final round of the CN Canadian Women’s Open. For once, that shot was not a putt.
Wie’s putting made a dramatic improvement in Montreal. She averaged 27 a day, including 25 in the final round’s terrible conditions. In contrast, she averaged 30 at the Kia Classic and Kraft Nabisco Championship earlier this year, finishing in the top seven both weeks.
Wie switched to a belly putter at the Evian Masters in July, but uses a normal stroke with the long putter. Last week’s improvement pulled her into the top 60 in LPGA putting. She finished 79th last year.
Those poor putting numbers look even worse when compared to Wie’s overall results playing a part-time schedule as she heads toward a March graduation from Stanford.
She is currently 14th on the money list, 12th in the world rankings and earned her way onto her second Solheim Cup team. She is second on the tour in driving distance (267 yards) and among the top 26 in birdies, eagles, greens in regulation and rounds under par. A year ago, she was ninth on the money list.
Hilo’s Kimberly Kim made her fifth start of the year in Canada and shot 76-76. Kim has not made a cut in her rookie year.
On the LPGA’s Futures Tour, Honolulu’s Ayaka Kaneko finished second at last weekend’s Vidalia Championship, in Georgia. Kaneko shot rounds of 74-70-71 to finish at 1-under-par 215. The winner was rookie Sydnee Michaels, at 207.
Kaneko moved from 30th on the money list to 14th. The top 10 after next week’s Price Chopper Tour Championship in New York earn playing privileges on the LPGA tour next year.
Former Roosevelt and University of Hawaii golfer Xyra Suyetsugu (76—227) tied for 51st in Georgia and is 114th on the money list. Britney Choy, a rookie from Wahiawa, didn’t play last week. She stands 65th.
Corpuz plays up, wins
Allisen Corpuz, a 13-year-old Punahou eighth-grader, played up a division and still beat a strong field by six at the second annual Dave and Buster’s Junior Classic. The Hawaii State Junior Golf Association tournament ended Sunday at Waikele Golf Club.
Corpuz, No. 35 in the national Polo Junior Golf Rankings, shot rounds of 79-70 to capture the Girls 15-18 division. Hilo’s Ciera Min (74—155) was second and state high school champion Eimi Koga (75—157), a Moanalua junior, finished third.
Mid-Pacific Institute junior Skye Inakoshi opened with a 4-under-par 68 and won the Boys 15-18 division with a 36-hole score of 139. That was two shots better than Richard Hattori (70).
Mariel Galdiano, a Maryknoll eighth-grader, fired rounds of 80-76 to capture the Girls 13-14 group. She was three shots better than Hana Furuichi (77).
There was a three-way tie for first at 149 in the Boys 13-14 division. Sian Rogers, who shot 77 the final day, won a scorecard-match playoff over Kyle Suppa (73) and Caleb Keohokapu (75).
Notes
» Kaanapali is celebrating Patriot Golf Day on Saturday and Sunday by offering $50 rates on the Kai Course and $75 at the Royal Course. Kaanapali Golf Courses will donate $3 for each round played to the Patriot Golf Day Fund and Maui Veterans and Military Families. Call 808-661-3691 for more information.
