Lebanon, Ohio – Michelle Wie’s quest for an invitation to next year’s Masters ended today with a 5-and-4 loss in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links.
Wie, the 15-year-old high school junior, lost four of the first five holes to Clay Ogden, a junior at Brigham Young University from West Point, Utah, and was 5-down at the turn.
Wie won her only hole when Ogden bogeyed No. 10, but Ogden bounced back with a birdie to win the 11th and closed out the match with a conceded par on the 14th.
“It’s hard to beat birdies,” Wie said softly. “It wasn’t like I was playing bad. I was losing with a lot of pars. He played really great.” Ogden said he never relaxed until the match was decided.
“You’ve got to keep the gas on and keep it going,” he said.
On the deciding hole, Ogden missed the green, but his chip from the rough landed softly on the green and rolled to less than a foot. Wie conceded the putt and the two shook hands.
Wie said she learned a lot from the defeat.
“You have to be in the position he was today,” she said. “You have to give your opponent no chance.” Wie had focused on the men’s Public Links because the winner traditionally is invited to play at the Masters.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed, but it’s not the end of the world,” she said.
Wie, the first female to qualify for a men’s USGA championship, won two matches Thursday to move into the quarterfinals. She beat Jim Renner 3-and-1 after earlier beating C.D. Hockersmith 6-and-5.
