Wie finishes on high note, but misses cut in Reno

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RENO, Nev. -- Michelle Wie walked off the ninth green -- her final hole of the day -- and a voice called out, "Thank you for coming Michelle!" The crowd roared and gave an extended applause to endorse the sentiment.

On her eighth attempt on the PGA TOUR, Michelle Wie displayed all the talent and the problems that have dotted her very young but extensive career thus far. After an 8-over 80 in Friday's second round of the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, Wie moved to 9 over for the tournament and missed the cut.

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Michelle Wie birdied her final hole on Friday, but still shot a 8-over 80 to miss the cut.

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Wie's scorecard

Wie began the day in great position to make her first cut on the PGA TOUR. She was 1 over and playing in the calm conditions of the early morning as opposed to the afternoon breeze that she battled on Thursday. She made several early clutch putts -- albeit for par -- and the record galleries cheered every move. Wie struggled early in the day with her driver and the continued pressure to hit recovery shots and make long par putts started to wear on her. Through her first six holes, she was 2-over par.

On the 18th hole, her ninth, she spun a wedge past the hole and had 12 feet for birdie. She calmly drained the putt, setting the gallery into a small frenzy and sending a buzz throughout the golf course that she could be around for weekend play.

Solid pars on the first three holes of her final nine gave the crowd hope. But disaster struck on the fourth hole. Wie bombed a drive on the par 5, and went for the green in two. She hit it solid but a bit left, as it careened off a tree and settled into the rough, pin-high but on a tough downhill slope. She hit a poor chip that advanced only a few feet and still was resting in the rough, and then hit a thin chip shot that rocketed across the green into the rough on the other side. When the dust had settled, she had a crippling double bogey and for all intents and purposes, her weekend hopes were dashed.

A few holes later, on No. 8, the wheels came off. After pushing her tee shot way right, she was forced to take an unplayable lie and there were no options to drop. She returned to the tee and hit another tee shot. Her second tee shot was pulled way left, and she had to put in play a provisional, a third tee shot on the hole. She was able to find her second tee shot, but had to take an unplayable lie and a drop on the hill left of the fairway. When the dust settled, after an approach shot that came up short and a mediocre chip, Wie, who had to ask her caddie what her score was on the 25-minute long hole, putted in for a nine and took a deflating walk to her final hole.

But her final hole of the tournament was fitting. In front of thousands who rushed to catch one last glimpse of the 18-year-old from Stanford, Wie went all out on the par 5 and ended up in a greenside bunker in two shots. Her blast settled 8 feet from the hole and then she drained the birdie putt to the delight of Reno.

Wie expressed satisfaction with her play for the two rounds, with the exceptions of the two holes which accounted for seven of her nine shots over par.

"I am taking away a lot of good things from this week," Wie said. "I made some really good putts, some really good drives. I know that there are some things I need to work on, but I feel like I learned a lot."

After the round, Wie commented on her decision to play in the tournament and the criticisms that she might receive for playing.

"I think if I played a couple in a row it'd be a different story, but it's hard to play one a year you know," she said."It's a different game and I think it's unfair to think about it that way. I think if I played eight in a row and missed all eight, that'd be a different story. But like I said I gave it my best today, and I feel like I did a lot of good things and hopefully that outshines the ones that I made mistakes on."

Wie was non-committal as to whether she'd play in any more PGA TOUR events or even go to the LPGA Qualifying School if she needed to in order to earn an exemption for playing status next year.