Michelle Wie plays in this week's German Ladies
Open near Munich

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

By BETHAN CUTLER

Michelle Wie is competing in her first full field Ladies European Tour event this week, at the HypoVereinsbank Ladies German Open presented by Audi, on the north eastern outskirts of Munich.
The 18-year-old from Honolulu in Hawaii has been given a sponsor’s invitation to play in the 72-hole tournament at Golfpark Gut Häusern, which begins on Thursday.
The tournament will be Wie’s third competitive appearance of the year after two starts on the US LPGA Tour at the Fields Open in Hawaii and at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill.
Wie is not a member of any pro golf tour but has accumulated on course earnings of more than US$760,000 since turning professional in October 2005.

She made the decision to play in Germany to get more tournament practise. “I just thought I needed to play in more tournaments. I found at the last tournament I was really rusty and I needed to play in more tournaments. They gave me a sponsor exemption and I thought, “Wow, Munich! I’ve never been there and it’s a great opportunity.” It’s a really great honour to be here,” said Wie.

“It’s really nice, I really like it. I’ve been to the main area down town and I really like it. It’s got great architecture, great food; a lot of meats and sausages!
“I feel a lot healthier and I want to start playing more and playing some good golf. My goal is just to have fun and keep my head on straight and shoot some low scores. I’ve never played here in Germany before. All the players seem really fun and have really welcomed me.”

Wie will tee off at 9am local time in the first round on Thursday with the 2007 Madrid Ladies Masters champion Martina Eberl from Germany, who is competing on her home course, and Spain’s Paula Marti, the 2002 LET order of merit winner.

Recent LET champions Lisa Hall, Emma Zackrisson, Gwladys Nocera and Lotta Wahlin are also in the 127-player field, along with the current leading money winner for 2008, South Korean teenager Amy Yang, who finished second last week in Switzerland. Wie played a practise round with Yang, who is also 18, on Tuesday in Germany in sunny conditions.

The LET returns to Germany for the first time in seven years, following the 2001 event at the Nick Faldo Course, Bad Saaro in Berlin, won by Karine Icher and will be visiting Golfpark Gut Häusern for the first time. The Peter Harradine course, which opened in May 2003, will be playing at 6204 yards for the €250,000 event, which features a first prize of €37,500. Surrounded by lush farmland and rolling countryside, the course is located just outside the village of Market Indersdorf approximately 40km from Munich city centre.