Michelle Wie, on the brink of becoming the first woman in 60 years to make a cut on the US PGA Tour, stumbled after finding big trouble on two of her last four holes at the John Deere Classic.
The 15-year-old American's even-par 71 on Saturday left her at one
under for the tournament, missing the cut by two strokes.
When she tapped in, she smiled but disappointment was etched across her face.
"Those two holes really killed me," she said.
Wie was trying to become the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to make a US PGA Tour cut, and she was on track to do it with room to spare after finding herself at four under.
But she came apart in stunning fashion, dropping three strokes on holes six and seven, and then missing a last-chance birdie putt on hole eight.
The bunkers on the sixth became Wie's undoing and her putts failed to find their mark. She ended up carding a demoralising double bogey, her first of the week.
She had a chance on the par-three seventh but another wayward tee shot forced a drop, after her ball was deemed to be unplayable. Wie finished the hole with a bogey and was at one under for the tournament.
Wie had one last chance but her 14-foot birdie putt on the eighth danced near the cup edge before rolling away.
The tournament is being led by J L Lewis, two shots clear of the field after shooting a 65 to go with his first-round 64 on the par 71 course.
New Zealanders Grant Waite and Michael Long both made the cut - Waite tied for 40th at 138 after a 70 on Friday, and Long tied for 58th after a sizzling second round of 66.
- HERALD ON SUNDAY
