LEBANON, Ohio - Michelle Wie is three wins from an invitation to the Masters.
The 15-year-old from Hawaii birdied three of the final five holes and beat Jim Renner 3 and 1 in her second match of the day Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links.
She conceded that Augusta National has crept into the back of her mind. "Obviously I'm thinking about that, but I'm taking it one match at a time," she said.
Wie, the first female qualifier for a men's USGA championship, earlier won 6 and 5 over C.D. Hockersmith.
The 6-foot teen, who nearly made the cut on the PGA Tour twice and was tied for the lead last month in the U.S. Women's Open, might be on the verge of her most stunning feat of all.
The Masters has invited the Public Links winner every year since 1989. Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson has said the all-male club would welcome Wie or any other woman who qualified.
Wie is confident she will play in the Masters someday. "I don't feel any kind of urgency," she said. "I'm just playing. Hopefully, I'll get in one of these days. It could happen this year, it could be next year, it could be 20 years down the line."
Wie, seeded No. 55, would have to win two matches for a second straight day to reach the final. She next plays this morning against BYU junior Clay Ogden, 20, the No. 63 seed who defeated Andrew Black of Chattanooga 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals. The semifinals are in the afternoon, followed by the 36-hole championship Saturday.
"I was kind of joking and I actually said that I hoped I play her," Ogden said. "And here we go."
Wie avoided an early deficit when Renner missed 6-foot birdie tries on his first two holes. She took over, going 3 up at the turn with an 18-foot birdie putt at No. 9. "It's not often you're intimidated by a 15-year-old, but I'm seeing stuff out here ... " Renner said.
Incoming FSU freshman Matt Savage (Louisville) advanced to Thursday's round of 16 before falling, while sophomore Song Jeon (Seoul) reached the morning round.
