Golf: Wie Not Allowed to Play in British Open

The rarefied world of top-class golf welcomed a new star at the weekend in the shape of Michelle Wie - though there remains at least one old curmudgeon who appears unimpressed by the 14-year-old's stunning performance in her first men's PGA Tour event here at Waialae, namely the Royal & Ancient.

Fresh from watching his teenage daughter shooting a two-under-par 68 to miss the cut at the Sony Open by just one stroke, beating 47 male professionals in the process, BJ Wie revealed that plans to attempt qualification for this year's Open Championship at Troon had been thwarted by the R&A's rulebook.

"It was only when I started doing a little research that I discovered that the rules stated that the Open Championship tournament was for men only," Wie said.

"It's such a pity because Michelle has never played a links course before but, growing up playing in the wind on Hawaii, her game would be suited to links golf. I was very surprised and disappointed."

Wie is expected to make her first appearance on a British course later this summer at Formby, in the Curtis Cup, which pits the best women amateurs from the United States against their British and Irish counterparts. The American team has not yet been selected but Wie, who won last summer's US Women's Public Links championship - naturally, not played on a links course - is certain to be picked.

It will be of little consolation to Wie Snr to learn he is not the only one to be surprised and disappointed by the R&A's attitude towards women.

Despite pressure from all sides to step into the 21st century, the organisation continues to give succour to clubs such as Troon, Muirfield and Royal St George's - all Open venues in recent years - which will not countenance women members. Given that attitude, it seems unlikely the R&A would bend even to accommodate the most exciting talent to emerge since Tiger Woods, especially as the European PGA Tour also operates a "men only" policy at its tournaments.

What a refreshing contrast on the western Atlantic seaboard, where the US Tour has now had three women play in its events in the past eight months: Annika Sorenstam, Suzy Whaley and now Wie.

All three missed the cut but the benefits of their participation - for the tour itself, for the cause of wider participation in the sport and for the ticket-buying public - have been obvious, at least to those who are willing to look.

Wie's performance at Waialae elevated a run-of-the-mill tour event to the front pages of the paper. In finishing on 140 - level par for 36 holes - the teenager finished tied with two of last year's major winners, Ben Curtis and Jim Furyk, and ahead of two former major winners, Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler.

Off the course, too, she outperformed many of her male competitors with her breezy, laugh-a-minute press conferences. Asked by one journalist if she would accept an invitation to play in next year's Sony Open, she looked at him as if he was from Mars. "What do you think?" she said.

"It's pretty incredible," said one former Sony Open winner, Jerry Kelly. "She's opening the door." Well, some doors maybe.