British Open place beckons for teen prodigy Michelle

Michelle Wie, 15, could become the first woman to play in the British Open Picture / Reuters

LONDON - Prominent golfers Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els and Nick Faldo have no problem with teenager Michelle Wie playing in this year's British Open as long as she qualifies.

Wie, 15, has been given the chance of playing at St Andrews after the Royal and Ancient Club agreed to allow women to enter the Open championship on July 14-17.

Details of how women players would qualify have yet to be announced, but Wie comes into a special category because of her invitation to the John Deere Classic in Illinois on July 7-10.

The PGA Tour event carries an exemption into the British Open for the leading non-exempt player.

So Wie, a Hawaiian of Korean parentage, who next month makes her first attempt to qualify for the US Open on June 16-19, could miss the halfway cut at Illinois and still claim an exempt spot.

Montgomerie, speaking in Shanghai ahead of today's start of the Asian Open, said if Wie qualified for the British Open she deserved to play.

"Good luck to her. I have no objections at all, provided it's not an invited situation," the seven-time European No 1 said.

The issue of women being able to play in majors has been a subject of debate since world No 1 Annika Sorenstam two years ago became the first female to appear on the PGA Tour in the United States since 1945.

Others have since followed around the world, with Britain's Laura Davies playing in a tournament in Australia and Wie, incredibly, missing the cut by only one stroke at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January last year when she was 14.

Faldo, the three-time British Open winner who is also competing in Shanghai, echoed Montgomerie's comments.

"If you can tee it up and earn your spot you can't knock that at all," he said.

"I don't think there has to be a male-female agenda if you're good enough to play."

However, world No 3 Els, while welcoming Wie's participation if she qualified, injected a note of caution.

"I do not think she has made a cut yet [on the PGA Tour], although she came close at the Sony," the South African said.

"It's not impossible for her to do that.

"The only thing I am not sure about is the golf course [at the John Deere]. If it is a long, wet golf course she has no chance.

"If the place is firm I give her a good chance. I do not know what the bookies say, but she has half a chance."

Royal and Ancient Golf Club chief executive Peter Dawson said: "There is no resistance to women playing in the Open championship if they can qualify."

Wie made her debut in an LPGA major, the 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship, at 13, when she was already one of the longest hitters to appear on the LPGA Tour.

Touted as the future Tiger Woods of the women's game, Wie has entered local qualifying in Hawaii for this year's US Open.

Although golf is known for its long-held traditions and private club mentality, the winds of change now appear to be blowing a little more favourably for women players.

Wie's targets

* British Open, St Andrews, July 14-17

* US PGA Championship, Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, New Jersey, August 11-14

- REUTERS