/ 15 July 2006

Heat exhaustion forces Wie to withdraw

Michelle Wie was taken to a hospital after withdrawing from the John Deere Classic with nine holes left on Friday, overcome by the conditions on a hot, humid afternoon, and left the course in an ambulance, getting fluids intravenously.

”She suffered a number of different symptoms, including stomach pains, nausea, dizziness and breathing problems which worsened as the round continued,” Wie’s agent, Ross Berlin, said in a statement.

”Michelle was diagnosed with heat exhaustion and is now resting and in very good spirits.”

Wie was discharged on Friday night, said Tammy Stone, a nursing supervisor at the Genesis Medical Centre, Illini campus. Wie will now have a week off before a two-week trip to Europe for the Evian Masters in France and the Women’s British Open.

Wie walked off the ninth hole on her own, but after talking with her parents said she couldn’t play anymore. She then was taken to the course medical trailer, where she was treated for about 30 minutes.

Under local laws, Wie had to be taken to a hospital for further attention. Her mother, Bo, accompanied the teenager in the ambulance and her father, BJ, followed behind in a car.

”She’s fine. She’s getting better,” BJ Wie said when he came out of the course medical trailer.

This was Wie’s fifth attempt at becoming the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to make the cut at US PGA Tour event. But her chances at history were all but over after she opened with a 6-over 77 on Thursday, leaving her 13 strokes behind the leaders and eight strokes over the projected cut line.

She was at 2-over 37 when she withdrew on Friday. Joe Ogilvie was the second-round leader at 10-under 132 after a 4-under 67. Daniel Chopra (69), Kris Cox (68), John Senden (69) and John Huston (67) were one stroke back at nine under.

Defending champion Sean O’Hair (69) was six strokes behind Oglivie.

The temperature on Friday afternoon was 31°C. Wie teed off shortly before 2pm, and was looking listless by the time she approached the fifth green. She sat on her bag with her head bowed, a towel to her face, until it was her turn to putt.

”We’ve had several cases of heat-related illness, but mostly spectators,” said Dr Benjamin Shnurman, a physician and tournament medical staff volunteer who treated Wie. ”We haven’t treated any other players with this type of condition.” – Sapa-AP