LPGA WAL-MART NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

Sandler's nod of approval elevates Wie

Michelle Wie enjoyed the trappings that came with last week’s U.S. Women’s Open victory and said she is excited to be in Rogers for this week’s LPGA event.
Michelle Wie enjoyed the trappings that came with last week’s U.S. Women’s Open victory and said she is excited to be in Rogers for this week’s LPGA event.

ROGERS -- Michelle Wie arrived at Pinnacle Country Club on Thursday after a whirlwind week that began Sunday when she won the U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst N.C.

The victory was her first major championship and her fourth on the LPGA Tour and led to appearance on the Today show, Fox & Friends and Live with Kelly and Michael.

LPGA Wal-Mart Northwest Arkansas Championship

WHEN Today-Sunday

WHERE Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers

PURSE $2 million. Winner receives $300,000

2013 CHAMPION Inbee Park

TELEVISION Golf Channel: 7:30-9:30 p.m. today (tape delayed); 4-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

TICKETS $25 for all-week pass, $15 daily today, Saturday or Sunday. Children 17-and-younger admitted free with a ticketed adult. All military personnel and veterans admitted free with valid military identification.

Walking around New York City in 5-inch heels and carrying the U.S. Open trophy wasn't easy for Wie, who stands 6 feet tall, but a surprise made up for it.

"I got congratulatory flowers, this huge flower vase from Adam Sandler, which is awesome," said Wie, 24. "I feel like that's the biggest prize in golf, getting flowers from Happy Gilmore. Like you know you made it when that happens."

Wie ($1,588,465) leapfrogged former Arkansas Razorbacks All-American Stacy Lewis ($1,581,227) on the money list by virtue of her $720,000 payday for winning last week's Open, the most lucrative tournament the women play. Lewis earned $432,00 for second, which is more than this week's $300,000 first-place check that is one of the better prizes on the tour.

"New York was fun, but I'm really excited to be here and play some golf this week," said Wie, who moved to No. 7 in the world rankings, up four spots from the previous week.

Wie and Lewis top a field of 144 women who will tee it up today on the 6,389-yard par-71 course. It includes 34 of the world's top 50 players.

Several golfers, including world No. 1 Lewis, congratulated Wie on the 18th green after her victory at Pinehurst, with Lewis one of the first to give her a hug after Wie was sprayed with beverages during the celebration.

Lewis said she and Wie have developed a friendship on and off the course, especially since Lewis moved to Florida after the Solheim Cup competition last August.

"We practice together, play some golf together when we're home," said Lewis, who is still looking for her first Northwest Arkansas Championship victory. "So to go out there and congratulate her, that's what I would do for any of my friends, whether it's Michelle or whoever it is.

"I'm not the champagne and beer spraying type, so I let the other girls take care of that."

Wie and Lewis are even using the same trainer this year.

"We work out together in the gym, and she always pushes me to work out harder," Wie said." I definitely look up to her and how she plays and how she handles herself. Definitely I feel very proud that I took one away from her."

Lewis' best finish in the Northwest Arkansas Championship was a tie for fourth last year. She said coming back to Arkansas always means a busy week for her, even more so as the world's top-ranked player.

"Sometimes you just want to sit there and have dinner and not worry about it, but that's just not the case here this week at least for me," Lewis said. "I'm just trying to be patient with it, but at the same time enjoy it because nobody else on tour gets what I get here."

Defending champion and world No. 2 Inbee Park of South Korea is coming off a 43rd-place finish at Pinehurst. She won at Rogers last year when the tournament was held the week before the U.S. Open and then won the Open.

"I think that really helped me a lot to go into the U.S. Open," Park said.

World No. 3 Lydia Ko, 17, often gets compared to Wie, who enjoyed success on the LPGA Tour as a teenager. Ko competed as an amateur a year ago and finished tied for fourth along with Lewis. Her victory in April at the Swinging Skirts Classic was her first as a professional.

"[Michelle's] playing some awesome golf," Ko said. "She has the last year or so. People kind of, I think, had doubts maybe about Michelle, but she's proven herself that she's a major winner. It kind of gives me more hope that I can become a player like her, a player as successful and as good as her."

Wie has missed the past three cuts at Pinnacle, but she said Thursday's pro-am gave her a good idea of what she needed to do going into today's opening round.

"You have to place it in the right spot," she said."It's not a whole lot of drivers on this golf course. So hopefully my caddie and I made a pretty good plan out there this week and we'll stick with it and hopefully that's what will happen."

Sports on 06/27/2014

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