Michelle Wie tries to make PGA history
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-12 09:34

Rose knows the feeling.

He made his professional debut a week after Royal Birkdale at the Dutch Open, and the buzz was so strong that he found his name listed atop the leaderboard before he even teed off. He opened with a 76, followed with a 65 and missed the cut by one shot. He missed by one shot the next week.

It wasn't long before his focus shifted from the trophy to playing on the weekend.

"Then I started thinking, 'Gosh, I've got to make the cut.' And it snowballs from there," he said. "It was an uphill battle until I got to the point where I missed so many, I had to take a step back and find another route."

That's one reason that while others will look at Wie's score over two days at Waialae, Rose pays more attention to her birth certificate.

"When I was 17, I wanted a tour card desperately," he said. "But when I look back, all that matters is that you keep improving. Obviously, I was a good player. And that's what I would say to her. It's not the end of the world if you miss the cut, as long as you're learning and getting better."

Her overall record indicates an upward path.

She was making cuts on the LPGA Tour at age 13. A year later, she made an occasional journey into the top 10. And as a 15-year-old, she twice was runner-up in a major, and was tied for the lead going into the last round of the U.S. Women's Open until stumbling to an 82.

No telling what 2006 holds, her first full season as a pro.

Wie wore a belt with "68" on the buckle during the second round of the John Deere Classic. For the practice round Tuesday, her white belt had a phrase written in English and Korean.

"Practice and play hard," it said, "for health and happiness."