Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie have a few things in common.
Michelle Wie holes out for eagle in LPGA season-opener
Michelle Wie and Tiger Woods do their Stanford alma mater proud on opening day of the 2018 season
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Both superstars went to Stanford.
Each has logged long hours on the disabled list.
They own swings that have undergone more forensic examinations than the Zapruder film.
Both are former phenoms turned grizzled veterans compared to the youngsters they contend with on the PGA and LPGA Tours.
Each captures the imagination of golf fans in her and his division like no others.
Each hopes to get back into the win column after going years without a victory.
On Thursday, though both needle-movers kicked off their respective 2018 golf campaigns with so-so play, and each locked up honors for shot-of-the-day.
Wie, playing in her tour’s season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, made her first eagle of the new year with a hole-out for a 3 on the par-5 11th hole at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island.
The lovely approach shot brought the Big Wiesy from 1-over to 1-under for her round and, after dropping a shot with a bogey on No. 16, kept her at even par and four shots north of the projected cut line.
Wie, like her Cardinal counterpart, has battled health issues for years. Though she is still receiving treatment for arthritis in her wrists, according to Golfweek, she has stated that her primary goal this season is to remain illness- and injury-free.
A W this week would be Wie’s first since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. The 28-year-old in her 10th season on tour finished the opening round four shots back of a trio of 18-hole co-leaders that includes Brooke Henderson, 20.
Woods, winless since 2013, knocked off some rust from a lengthy injury-related layoff with a first-round even-par 72 at the Farmers Insurance Open. The highlight of his round was a near-ace on the par-3 16th.
Tiger, 42, has some ground to cover if he is to make it to the weekend. He’ll start Friday’s second round seven shots back of 28-year-old Tony Finau, though a couple of more shots like the one he made with a full 6-iron on 16 could put him in the thick of things.
