EAST MOLINE, Illinois (March 29, 2006) – In another attempt to make history, Michelle Wie will return to the Midwest to tee it up against the best players in the world at this year’s John Deere Classic, tournament officials announced today.
The 16-year-old Hawaiian will come back to the Tournament Players Club at Deere Run, July 10-16, where last year she nearly became the first woman in 60 years to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.
"Michelle Wie is one of the biggest stars in golf today and we are thrilled that she has accepted our invitation to play in the 2006 John Deere Classic," said John Deere Classic tournament director Clair Peterson. "Michelle’s performance here last year electrified our fans and helped us increase our charity donations by a million dollars. She played well against the best players in the world and handled herself with a grace and maturity beyond her years."
Thousands of local fans and an international TV audience watched the drama unfold last year as Wie found herself in good position to make the cut with only four holes to play on her back nine of her second round. But a double-bogey on the par 4 sixth hole followed by a bogey on the par 3 seventh abruptly dashed her hopes of becoming the first female to make a cut on the PGA Tour since Babe Didrikson Zaharias did so in both Phoenix and Tucson in 1945. Wie finished with a two-day total of 70-71—141 (one under par), putting her two shots beyond the cut line.
"My family and I had a great experience last year at the John Deere Classic," Wie said. "Everyone was extremely kind and supportive. I have been looking forward to going back since last year."
Since her appearance at last year’s John Deere Classic, Wie made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur (Men’s) Public Links, where she lost to the eventual champion; finished second at the Evian Masters, the LPGA’s richest regular tour event, and tied for third at the Weetabix Women’s British Open.
In October 2005, Wie, now a junior at Punahou High School in Hawaii, turned professional. Flush with lucrative endorsement contracts from Nike and Sony, Wie’s first act as a pro was to donate $500,000 to the U.S. Golf Hurricane Relief Fund.
Earlier this year, Wie played in the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii, missing the cut. She played in the LPGA’s Fields Open, also in Hawaii, where she finished third, one stroke out of a playoff. This week, she is playing on a sponsor’s exemption at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, an LPGA major championship.
Wie is scheduled to play in the U.S. Women’s Open, the Weetabix Women’s British Open, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, the Evian Masters, the HSBC Match Play, and the Samsung World Championship.
The John Deere Classic is an annual 72-hole PGA Tour event that began as the Quad City Open in 1971. John Deere, which is based in Moline, Ill. (one of the Quad Cities), took on title sponsorship of the event in the year 2000.
Contact:
Barry Cronin
Cronin Communications, Inc.
847-698-1801
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
