At 14 over par, Wie withdraws

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. -- Michelle Wie withdrew from the Ginn Tribute yesterday after shooting 14 over par through 16 holes, aggravating a wrist injury that sidelined her since January.

After Wie bogeyed the par-4 seventh, the 17-year-old star from Hawaii told an LPGA Tour official: "We're not going to play anymore."

Wie wore bandages on her wrists during the round and said she withdrew because she "tweaked" the injury and not because of an LPGA Tour rule that bans non-Tour members for the year if they shoot 88 or higher. Wie was two bogeys from that scenario when she stopped.

"I had issues with my wrist," she said. "Shooting 88 is not what I think about."

While Wie struggled in her return, Annika Sorenstam was pleased with her even-par 72 after missing nearly two months because of a ruptured disk and a bulging disk. "I'm extremely happy with my round considering the circumstances," she said.

LPGA rookie Angela Park held the first-round lead at 6 under, two shots ahead of a group that included top-ranked Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer, and Pat Hurst.

Wie's round included a 10 on the par-5 third hole, when her drive hit a parked car and rolled down a roadway drain.

"It was actually quite funny," she said. "I was going to crawl down the drain to show people it was in play.

"But I couldn't fit."

After her provisional tee shot went way left into a pond, Wie's third drive landed in the rough and she went on to a quintuple bogey.

Wie looked defeated as she played her final hole, No. 7. She sent her approach way past the pin for a bogey to move to 14 over.

As Wie headed to the tee, she was stopped by her manager, Greg Nared. The two chatted -- Nared even keeping Wie's mother, Bo, from joining the conversation -- before they called an LPGA Tour official to end the round.

Wie walked onto the eighth tee, shook hands with playing partners Janice Moodie and Alena Sharp, got on a cart with her parents and caddie, and drove back to the clubhouse as the gallery applauded.

Wie went to a private room to have her bandages taken off. She briefly had an ice bag on her left wrist before taking questions.

Wie had not played a tournament since missing the cut at the PGA Tour's Sony Open in January.

"It's a bummer," Sorenstam, the tournament host, said of Wie's withdrawal. "I'm sorry for her."

Wie hopes to play in next week's major, the McDonald's LPGA Championship.

"I want to be smart about" the injury, she said. "But I definitely want to get back playing, so I'm going to work on it."

Wie tried to sound upbeat after deciding to leave. "I know what to work on," she said. "The only way to go from here is up, so I'm feeling pretty good about it."