Wie Has Shot at Making British Open

Will Michelle Wie play at St. Andrews?

It’s a longshot, but the Royal and Ancient Club is moving toward changing its no-female rules for the British Open and said Tuesday that Wie would earn an exemption to play at St. Andrews if she won the next PGA Tour event she has entered, the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Ill.

Wie, 15, received a sponsor’s exemption to play the John Deere, scheduled July 7-10, the week before the British Open.

Peter Dawson, the R&A; chief executive, said Wie might also qualify at the John Deere if she were the leading player not otherwise exempt for the British Open.

B.J. Wie said Tuesday that his daughter had read reports on the R&A;’s decision.

“She feels it is a great honor to be a subject of [the] R&A;’s discussion,” the elder Wie said. “She feels more excited about playing in the John Deere Classic. Certainly, the R&A;’s announcement gives Michelle extra motivation and encouragement.”

The Royal and Ancient, which runs the British Open, has never allowed females, but Dawson indicated that the male-only restriction would be done away with for the 2006 British Open at Royal Hoylake in Liverpool, England.

If Wie won the John Deere Classic, however, the R&A; would invoke a clause in the entry form that would allow its championship committee the discretion of accepting or refusing any entry.

Wie has played the PGA Tour Sony Open in 2004 and 2005, missing the cut both times, but by only one shot in her first appearance in a men’s pro tournament.

She tied for 12th at the Kraft Nabisco Championship last month, the first LPGA Tour major of the year, and was fourth in 2004. She tied for ninth in 2003 as a 13-year-old.

Last year, Wie played seven LPGA Tour events and made the cut in all of them.