Thursday, July 14, 2005

Superfreak in the Quarterfinals

I mean "superfreak" in the best way.

Michelle freaking Wie, fifteen-year-old female golf prodigy, advanced today to the quarterfinals in the Publinx--the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

That's the Men's Amateur Public Links Championship, in case you're wondering. Well, it was never actually exclusively the men's championship--it's just that a woman (of any age) had never successfully qualified to play in it (in 83 years).

No problem. Wie won a local qualifier, only played half of one practice round (she was busy almost making the cut in a men's PGA Tour event last weekend), qualified in two rounds of medal play to advance to match play (sixty-four players), and has beaten three topflight amateurs in the last two days. She's now among the eight best amateur golfers in the country, men or women.

Did I mention that she's fifteen?

This is so exponentially impossible that I burst out laughing every time I think about it. What a great story. Oh, and if she wins her next three matches (which will be very difficult, but certainly possible) and with it the tournament, the Publinx winner gets an invitation to another tournament.

The Masters. Heh.

Maybe she'll be old enough to drive a car by then.

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