Wie earns her first LPGA Tour card

Michelle Wie opened with three bogeys before settling down in blustery conditions Sunday at Daytona Beach, Fla., for a two-over-par 74, easily finishing among the top 20 players after five days of qualifying to become a card-carrying member of the LPGA Tour.

“It’s a good feeling,” Wie said. “I really earned it. I legitimately went through Q-school. I took my medicine. And I got it. It feels good. It’s like high school graduation.”

The valedictorian was former NCAA champion Stacy Lewis, who had to go through Q-school because the LPGA Tour does not count earnings from the U.S. Women’s Open, where she tied for third in her pro debut. Lewis birdied her last two holes for a 69, giving her a three-shot victory over Amy Yang.

“I had the door shut on me a couple of times, but they can’t do it anymore,” Lewis said.

Wie said she will return to Stanford for the winter quarter, but plans a full LPGA schedule next year. Without being a member, she was limited to six LPGA events, plus the U.S. Women’s Open and Women’s British Open.

“I play whenever I want now, not when I have to play, or only six tournaments,” she said. “I can pick and choose. I might play two in a row, three in a row, and have some momentum. I really like this game, and I want to play a lot. I’m going to take advantage of this card.”

Harrison Frazar followed his 13-under 59 with a 69 to increase his lead to five strokes in the PGA Tour qualifying tournament, the six-round test that ends today at La Quinta, with the top 25 and ties earning tour cards.

Winless in 300 PGA Tour starts, Frazar had a 27-under 333 total. James Nitties and Derek Fathauer were tied for second after 67s. John Huston (68) and Glen Day (70) followed at 19 under, Brian Stuard (66), Robert Garrigus (68) and Tyler Aldridge (74) were 18 under, and Gary Woodland (67), Chris Stroud (67), James Oh (69), Troy Kelly (69), Jimmy Walker (69), Bryce Molder (72) and Jay Williamson (73) were 17 under. Notah Begay made a big move, shooting a 63 to jump from a tie for 95th to a tie for 21st at 15 under.

WATER POLO

USC defeats Stanford to win men’s title

Shea Buckner scored three goals, including one on a penalty shot, and USC beat host Stanford, 7-5, to win the NCAA title.

USC (29-0) won its fourth men’s water polo championship and first since 2005.

Joel Dennerly had four of his nine saves in the fourth quarter for the Trojans, who reached their fourth consecutive championship match.

In the third-place game, Tiber Forai scored four goals to help Loyola Marymount beat Navy, 11-4.

SOCCER

U.S. women win under-20 World Cup

The United States won the women’s under-20 World Cup at Santiago, Chile, defeating defending champion North Korea, 2-1, on first-half goals from Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan.

Leroux, who plays for UCLA, found the net in the 23rd minute with a shot from inside the box that ricocheted in off the defense, and Morgan, who plays for Cal, scored in the 42nd with a left-footed shot from 20 yards that went high into the goal.

In the third-place game, Marie Pollmann had a hat trick in Germany’s 5-3 win over France.

Casey Nogueira scored two second-half goals, including the winner with 2:06 remaining, and North Carolina defeated Notre Dame, 2-1, in the championship game of the NCAA Women’s College Cup at Cary, N.C. The Tar Heels won their 19th women’s soccer championship in the 27-year history of the tournament.

Cal State Dominguez Hills shut out Dowling, 3-0, to give the Toros the NCAA Division II men’s soccer title at Tampa, Fla.

ETC.

Raich edges Ligety in giant slalom race

Benjamin Raich of Austria won a World Cup giant slalom title by edging Ted Ligety by 0.01 of a second at Beaver Creek, Colo.

Raich won in a combined time of 2 minutes 24.61 seconds. Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway finished third, 0.10 behind Raich. Bode Miller had a fast final run going before his left ski slid out, and he skidded off the course.

Nadia Fanchini of Italy won the women’s season-opening super-giant slalom at Lake Louise, Canada, for her first World Cup victory. Lindsey Vonn, the defending overall World Cup champion, was ninth. . . . Alain Bernard set a world record in the short-course 100-meter freestyle at the French swimming championships at Angers. The Olympic champion finished in 45.69 seconds, beating the mark of 45.83 set by Stefan Nystrand of Sweden in 2007.