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Sorenstam delight but woe for Wie at RiverTowne

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-01 09:48

MOUNT PLEASANT, South Carolina - Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie experienced contrasting fortunes on Thursday after returning from injury to compete at the $2.6 million Ginn Tribute.

Michelle Wie, left rides in the cart with her mother Bo, center, after she withdrew from the first round of the LPGA Ginn Tribute golf tournament Thursday May 31, 2007, at Rivertowne Country Club in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Wie played much of the first round with bandaged wrists and shooting 14-over par through 16 holes. [AP]

Tournament host Sorenstam birdied three of her last four holes for a level-par 72 in the opening round at RiverTowne Country Club but Wie withdrew after 16 holes because of an aggravated wrist injury.

"I'm extremely happy with my round, considering the circumstances," Sorenstam told reporters after finishing six strokes behind pacesetting LPGA rookie Angela Park of Brazil.

"A year ago I wouldn't have been happy with it, but now I'm very happy. I made five birdies and that's a lot more than I could have asked for.

"I knew I was going to make a lot of mistakes," added the Swede after a round that also included five bogeys. "It's only my second 18 holes in six to seven weeks."

Former world number one Sorenstam, sidelined with a ruptured disc in her back, had not played competitively since the Kraft Nabisco Championship ended on April 1.

Wie, out of action since January because of a lingering wrist injury, battled to 14 over par with two holes to play before deciding to pull out.

WRIST ISSUES

"I try to play the best golf I can and unfortunately I was not able to do that because I had issues with my wrist," the 17-year-old Hawaiian said.

"It felt good when I was practising but I kind of like tweaked it in the middle of round a little bit.

"I'm just taking precautionary measures. The only way to go up from here is up, so I'm feeling pretty good about it."

Wie, who had been sidelined since missing the cut at the PGA Tour's Sony Open in January, is eager to play in next week's LPGA Championship, the second women's major of the year.

"The last thing I want to do is not play next week," she said. "I'm really excited to get back into the game and play in tournaments again.

"I'm going re-analyse it and kind of try to be smart about it."

Wie's wrist injury forced her to withdraw from the Kraft Nabisco Championship in March, the first time she has missed a women's major in three years.