Wie Will Try to Join Men’s Club in the Open

When she tries to qualify Monday for the U.S. Open at Summit, N.J., the odds are stacked against Michelle Wie. The numbers are intimidating for Wie, who may be up at Canoe Brook without a paddle.

The USGA announced Wednesday that the 16-year-old Wie will be one of 153 players in the 36-hole sectional qualifier looking for 18 spots in the Open. And that field includes 63 touring professionals, not counting Wie, featuring major championship winners Mark O’Meara and Mark Brooks.

Billy Andrade and J.P. Hayes, who are also multiple winners, will be on hand, and so will Brett Quigley, who has made more than $5 million as a pro.

Wie is paired with Rick Hartmann, the head pro at the Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, N.Y., and a touring pro on the European Tour for 10 years, and David Gossett, a former winner on the PGA Tour who is the 1999 U.S. Amateur champion.

Wie’s group plays the shorter South Course, 6,632 yards and a par 70, in the morning, then the 7,066-yard, par-72 North Course in the afternoon.

Canoe Brook Country Club staged sectional qualifying in 2004, when 22 players made it and the last score in was Scott Hend’s 71-69 and 140 total. Last year, when there were only six spots available in sectional qualifying at Canoe Brook, Michael Allen’s 68-68 was the low score.

Wie was the medalist in local qualifying at Turtle Bay in Kahuku, Hawaii, and is the first woman to advance to sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open. She already has received a special exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open at Newport, R.I.

Wie made her first cut in eight men’s pro events last month at the Asian Tour’s SK Telecom Open in South Korea, where she tied for 35th.

This time, there’s no cut, just a number: 18 out of 153.

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Tiger Woods revealed on his website Wednesday that he’s playing in the U.S. Open, June 15-18 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

That means Woods will have a nine-week break, between the Masters and the Open. Woods’ father, Earl, died May 3 at the family home in Cypress.

Woods, who conducted a private clinic last week in Little Rock, Ark., as part of a two-day charity event named after former Augusta National chairman Jack Stephens, practiced Saturday at Winged Foot, accompanied by his coach, Hank Haney. Phil Mickelson also was there.

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The quote of the week is from Annika Sorenstam, asked about the postage stamp issued in her honor in Sweden in 1995 after she won her first U.S. Open and saying it was an honor: “It was, but I was only worth 30 cents.”

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For the third straight time, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus will serve as captains for the Presidents Cup. The 2007 event, between a U.S. team and an international team, will be played at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in September. The 2003 Presidents Cup was a tie and the U.S. won in 2005 on the final hole when Chris DiMarco defeated Stuart Appleby.

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Jay Haas won his first major last weekend at the PGA Senior Championship, but he’s at the Memorial tournament this week, where he’s trying to tie Tom Kite’s record of making 590 career cuts on the PGA Tour.

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A house in Orlando, Fla., once owned by the late Payne Stewart, was sold recently by Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets for $5.1 million, or about $875,000 less than McGrady paid for it, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

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If the Ryder Cup were held this week, instead of September in Dublin, Ireland, the U.S. team would have three rookies qualify on points -- Lucas Glover, Tim Herron and Vaughn Taylor. Three more would-be rookies rank 11th through 13th in the points: Zach Johnson, Brett Wetterich and Arron Oberholser.

European captain Ian Woosnam has decided that the order of play will be best-ball format Friday and Saturday mornings with alternate shot in the afternoons of both days.

Woosnam had the option of changing things, but stayed with the same order of play that worked the last time, in 2004 at Oakland Hills -- an 18 1/2 -9 1/2 win for Europe, the worst loss in Ryder Cup history for the U.S.

The U.S. has not won the Ryder Cup since 1999.

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Ann Meyers, Alan Thicke, Mitch Gaylord, Pam Teeguarden, Dr. Sammy Lee, Marlin McKeever and Pat Studstill are among the celebrities expected to play in the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club tournament June 8 at Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine. Details: (760) 632-7770.

Pat Boone, Bob Babich, Mickey Jones and David Naughton will join host Randy Jones in the San Diego Teen Challenge celebrity tournament June 12 at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo.

The event benefits teen outreach programs in the San Diego area. Details: (760) 632-7770.

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This week

*--* PGA TOUR Memorial Tournament

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* When: Today-Sunday.

* Where: Muirfield Village Golf Club (7,300 yards, par 72), Dublin, Ohio.

* Purse: $5.75 million. Winner’s share: $1,035,000.

* TV: ESPN (Today, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; Friday, noon-3 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday, noon-3 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.).

* Last year’s winner: Bart Bryant.

*--* LPGA TOUR ShopRite LPGA Classic

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* When: Friday-Sunday.

* Where: Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa, Bay Course (6,071 yards, par 71), Galloway Township, N.J.

* Purse: $1.5 million. Winner’s share: $225,000.

* TV: ESPN2 (Friday, noon-2 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon; Sunday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.).

* Last year’s winner: Annika Sorenstam.

*--* CHAMPIONS TOUR Allianz Championship

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* When: Friday-Sunday.

* Where: Tournament Club of Iowa (6,779 yards, par 71), Polk City, Iowa.

* Purse: $1.5 million. Winner’s share: $225,000.

* TV: The Golf Channel (Friday-Sunday, 3-5:30 p.m.)

* Last year’s winner: Tom Jenkins.