Wie blames poor putting for opening 77

FARMINGTON, Pennsylvania, Sep 15 (Reuters) Michelle Wie blamed poor putting for a five-over-par 77 in the opening round at the 84 Lumber Classic.

''I didn't feel like I played five-over today because I hit the ball really good. I felt my short game and putting let me down,'' the 16-year-old Hawaiian told reporters after finishing the day equal 125th at the Mystic Rock course yesterday.

''Tee to green I played really well. My iron play was fantastic and my driver, aside from a couple of missed shots, was pretty good. But it's just my putts didn't go in.'' Though Wie blamed her putter, the 7,511-yard course, the longest she has ever played, was clearly a huge challenge, and she created only three birdies chances from inside 10 feet, all of which she missed.

''I came into this course knowing I would have four-and-five-irons into most of the greens, and I think I have prepared myself,'' she added.

Though her performance, in her 11th start in a men's professional event, was mediocre enough to raise further questions about whether she would be wise to stick to playing against her own gender, it was clearly an improvement from her last place at last week's European Masters.

For that, she credited coach David Leadbetter ''I'm hitting my irons about 10 yards further this week, because I'm hitting them very solidly,'' she said. ''David and I worked on my posture and my swing, and I feel a lot more confident.'' She also blamed the greens for her inability to hole any putts of note.

''It was frustrating, because I was hitting every putt on line and about six or seven looked like going in the middle and sometimes they hit a spike mark, sometimes a footprint,'' she said.

Wie still hopes to make the cut, but that seems unlikely, considering she would need to shoot a second round of probably no worse than 69 on Friday.

She finished in semi-darkness before spending 15 minutes on the range and putting green with her father and mother close by.

Reuters VJ VP0645