Wie Withdraws With Heat Exhaustion

Missing yet another PGA Tour cut was the least of Michelle Wie’s worries.

The 16-year-old phenom was treated for heat exhaustion at a local hospital after withdrawing from the John Deere Classic with nine holes left Friday. She struggled to keep herself from getting sick on a hot, steamy afternoon at Silvis, Ill., and left the course in an ambulance.

“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.

Wie was released from Genesis Medical Center later Friday.

Joe Ogilvie was the second-round leader at 10-under 132 after a four-under 67. Daniel Chopra (69), Kris Cox (68), John Senden (69) and John Huston (67) were one stroke back.

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 Illinois law, Wie had to be taken to a hospital for further attention. Her mother, Bo, accompanied the teenager in the ambulance and her father, B.J., followed behind.

“She’s fine. She’s getting better,” B.J. Wie said.

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

Wie was two over for the day and eight over for the tournament when she withdrew.

“She just said, ‘I’m going to withdraw,’ which was good because she was holding us up again,” said Jeff Gove, one of Wie’s playing partners.

Gove shot one-over 143 and missed the cut by three shots.