Even if you're already keeping up with the leaderboard, watching her front nine (Oakmont's back nine) in person was especially astounding. She's obviously uncomfortable on the greens, three-putting four times in just nine holes. And while she smartly kept her driver in the bag for the first seven holes, she grabbed it on 17, the short par 4 that's infamously dangerous. (Her caddie, on the 17th tee, should have hidden that driver. Or broken it.) Not surprisingly, Wie's ball landed in the right greenside bunker. It took her two shots to escape it, and even after she did, a tricky 20-foot come-back putt lead to a three-jack. She made the turn at eight over par.
While Wie's especially shaky start places her close to last at the moment, it's a true sign of how difficult this course is playing. If you like watching professional athletes struggle, you're in luck.
(Photo provided by the USGA)
--Ashley Mayo
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