Wie Building Momentum toward U.S. Open

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Wie Will Rock You
Michelle Wie continues to build momentum as the U.S. Women's Open approaches. She's in the hunt in her tune-up for Pinehurst.

Wie continues to build momentum before U.S. Open
By
Randall Mell
June 6, 2014, 6:59 pm

Michelle Wie moved into position Friday at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic to make a weekend run at winning her second title this year.
With a bogey-free 4-under-par 67, Wie sits just one shot behind South Korea’s Hee Young Park and China’s Shanshan Feng.
At 11-under 131, Park (66) won’t be easy to get past. She’s the defending champ on the Grey Silo Golf Course in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. She’s also bogey free through two rounds.
Feng (65), winner of the 2012 LPGA Championship, also has yet to make a bogey.

Video Here
Link to Video:
www.golfchannel.com/media/morning-drive-michelle-wies-winning-technique/

Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist positioned herself for a chance to become the only three-time LPGA winner this year. Nordqvist posted a 64 Friday, the day’s best round, to get within two shots of the lead. She hit all 18 greens in regulation and didn’t miss a fairway.
Rolex world No. 1 Stacy Lewis sits tied for 19th after back-to-back rounds of 69. Rolex world No. 2 Inbee Park shot 66 Friday to move into a tie for sixth, four shots off the lead. Rolex world No. 3 Lydia Ko (67) is tied for 19th.
Wie would love some more winning momentum going into the year’s second major championship. This is the last LPGA event before the women get next week off and then head to Pinehurst No. 2 for the U.S. Women’s Open.
In the year’s first major, Wie finished runner-up to Lexi Thompson at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. While she didn’t get a victory, Wie got another boost to her growing confidence. She won the week after the Kraft Nabisco, claiming the Lotte Championship for her third LPGA title, her first in four years.
Wie’s ball-striking has been sharp all year, and it was solid again Friday. She hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation but said she didn’t feel as if she gave herself enough good birdie chances.
“Just didn't get the ball close to the hole on my second shots,” Wie said. “I still can't complain, still in contention and excited for the weekend.”
Wie, who won the CN Canadian Women’s Open in 2010, has seven top-10 finishes this year, with five of them finishes of fourth place or better.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” Wie said.

Link to Head lines:
www.golfchannel.com/
Link to Article:
www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/wie-continues-build-momentum-ahead-us-open/

Table top: Wie getting results from technique
Charlie Rymer and Mark Rolfing discuss the results Michelle Wie is getting with her unusual table-top putting technique. Watch Morning Drive everyday on Golf Channel.

Link to Video:
www.golfchannel.com/media/morning-drive-michelle-wies-winning-technique/

This is the same video that is in Randall Mell’s article

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Feng leads, but Park, Wie, Kerr, Ko on her heels

By
Randall Mell
June 7, 2014, 6:34 pm

Michelle Wie and Inbee Park will be chasing Shanshan Feng Sunday at the Manulife Financial Classic with the LPGA delivering yet another stellar leaderboard going in to a final round.
Feng’s 4-under-par 67 Saturday put her out front in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Cristie Kerr, 17-year-old Lydia Ko and Anna Nordqvist are all in the hunt in what promises to be another shootout at the Grey Silo Golf Course.
At 15-under 198, Feng is two shots ahead of Wie (68) and Park (65). She’s three ahead of Kerr (65).
Ko soared up the leaderboard Saturday with a 64, the day’s low round, giving her a chance to become the youngest Rolex No. 1 in the history of the women's game. She moved four shots off the lead and needs to win to have a chance to overtake Stacy Lewis as the new No. 1.
Nordqvist (69), seeking to become the first three-time winner this LPGA season, is also four shots back.
Wie kept herself in the hunt despite a rough start. She bogeyed two of the first three holes to fall off the pace but rallied with six birdies and a bogey the rest of the way.
“Quite a shaky start,” Wie told reporters after her round. “I missed a good birdie opportunity on the first hole, and then I kind of duck-hooked it on the second hole and had to take an unplayable. Actually, it was a really good bogey. Then I kind of hooked it on the next hole, hit it in the bunker. So I just couldn't get my tempo right in the beginning, but definitely felt like I finished strong.”
That kind of start might have derailed Wie a year ago, when she ranked No. 100 in the world. With five finishes of fourth place or better this year, including her victory at the Lotte Championship, her first title in four years, Wie’s confidence is high. She joked after the third round that she was more upset about breaking a nail than she was about the early bogeys. She has climbed to No. 10 in the world with the kind of resilience she showed after Saturday’s rough start.
“I’m getting more and more confident,” Wie said. “But it's always a work in progress, because golf is such a finicky game. It's like, one day you're feeling really great, the next day you're not.”
Feng is looking for her fourth LPGA title.
“I’ve had no pressure this week,” Feng said. “Last year, I missed the cut here, so I came just to have fun.”
Feng, Wie and Park will be in the final group Sunday.
Park got herself in position to claim her first LPGA title since winning the U.S. Women’s Open almost a year ago. She would love to go to Pinehurst No. 2 in eight days to defend her title coming off a victory.
“The first win is always very important, and that would give me a lot of confidence going into the U.S. Open, that's for sure,” Park said. “So, yeah, that's going to help a lot.”
Park saw her 59-week reign atop the Rolex Women’s World Rankings end last week, when Lewis overtook her with a victory at the ShopRite Classic. Park can’t gain her No. 1 ranking back with a victory Sunday, but Rolex world No. 3 Ko can get there.
If Ko wins, and Lewis finishes eighth or worse, Ko will head to the U.S. Women’s Open as the youngest No. 1 in the history of professional golf. Ko's small divisor, with fewer starts than Park, enables her to make the rankings jump to No. 1 with a win.
Lewis starts Sunday tied for 18th, eight shots back.
“You never know what's going to happen,” Ko said.

Link to Article:
www.golfchannel.com/news/randall-mell/feng-leads-park-wie-kerr-ko-her-heels/