Wie makes pro debut at Samsung, trails Annika by six
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-14 09:16

Nike chairman Phil Knight was in the crowd -- he wasn't in Milwaukee when Tiger Woods made his pro debut -- along with three others from the Swoosh staff. Wie's entourage included mom and dad, swing coach David Leadbetter and his wife, three executives from the William Morris Agency, agent Ross Berlin and his wife.

The big difference comes Sunday, when Wie collects her first paycheck in a tournament with no cut.

"I haven't thought about playing for money or more pressure," Wie said. "Once I started playing, it wasn't any different."

Wie played 24 times on the LPGA Tour and competed five times against the men during an amateur career in which she spent more time playing against the pros. She joined them last week in Honolulu, signing lucrative deals with Nike and Sony, instantly making more endorsement money than even Sorenstam.

She showed poise, patience and the usual amount of frustration over her putting.

After a wedge into 18 inches for a tap-in birdie on her second hole, she faced her first test. Her drive on the par-5 third hole went right into a small piece of desert, the ball nestled in a tiny bush with a rock the size of a bowling ball possibly getting in the way of her next shot.

Rather than take a risk, Wie took a one-shot penalty to move it to the sand and punched out. She hit her fourth shot into 3 feet and escaped with par.

"I could have played it left-handed," Wie said. "But it was the third hole on the first day, so I thought I'd just take an unplayable. I made par anyway."

She made her share of birdies, too, twice on the par 5s by getting around the green in two, and an 18-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole, the longest putt she made all day.

Wie was three shots off the lead at that point, tied for fifth, until her two mistakes cost her.

"The most memorable thing was I hit the first fairway," she said. "That was pretty cool. Obviously, some things didn't go as well as I planned."

Sorenstam had few complaints, although the atmosphere was different. Sorenstam is no stranger to low numbers, but it's rarely this quiet when she's making so many birdies. All the attention was in the group ahead, and that was OK with the 35-year-old Swede.

"It's a big step for her to turn pro," Sorenstam said. "I think she can handle it."