FanHouse Jay Williamson

With all the pressure a golfer could imagine playing the Reno-Tahoe Open, the only respectable women's golfer this side of the Atlantic kept it interesting during day one.

Michelle Wie, coming in as the hot topic in golf, opened with a one-over 73 that could have been miles worse if not for a hot putter that saved the 18-year-old all day long.

Wie is eight shots back of first round leader Jeff Overton who shot a seven-under 65, but is right on the cut line after Thursday's round.

Facing criticism that would fill a spiral notebook, Wie opened with a "blame the pressure" bogey on the first hole but kept it together for most of the front nine, making two birdies on 6 and 9 to go out in even-par 36. Two bogeys on both the par-3s heading in had her slipping until a late birdie on 17 got her within a shot of both her playing competitors.

Wie hit only 39 percent of the greens in regulation, but made up for that with just 24 putts which was good enough for sixth in the field.

Maybe not exactly what she was looking for, but the good thing is she didn't shoot herself out of the tournament the first day and has a chance Friday, barring a solid round under par, to make her first cut on the PGA Tour.

It might not be the consolation prize she was hoping for, but Wie beat both Jay Williamson and David Duval, each making comments earlier this week about how they didn't really see why she was in the field.

Eat your hearts out whoever you are and dude that won a British Open like 40 years ago.

By now, we all know Michelle Wie: she's 18 years old, just so happens to be very good at golf, but has made some questionable career decisions. I'd like to think that's on her parents (Dottie Pepper agrees), and I wonder if she would be perfectly happy as an anonymous teenager enjoying college.

Whatever, if the golf thing doesn't work out, Wie might want to think about going into comedy. Sure, she doesn't look like she has a funny bone in her body, but apparently, when pressed, she's a riot. Earlier this week, PGA Tour player Jay Williamson offered these encouraging words when he found out Wie had accepted a sponsor's exemption to the Reno-Tahoe Open:

"When I saw it I actually thought it was a joke, quite honestly ... I know she is going to sell a lot more tickets than I will, but I would say it's surprising. I don't think it's a real popular decision out here."

Wie's response? "I don't even know who that is." Fair point, but for those of you who are interested, here's a quick primer: Williamson was born in St. Louis, was a political science major at Trinity College, and he's the guy who, at last year's Canadian Open, fired his caddie mid-round for mouthing off. Hilarity ensued.

And say what you want about Wie's rocky professional career; she's never had a caddie quit on her in the middle of a round and then toss a bag full of golf balls in the drink on his way back to the clubhouse.

In golf, at least in modern golf, there was no story.

You had the matador, Tiger Woods, and then a bunch of lame bulls that never gave much of a fight when provoked.

That isn't the case these days, and we can thank a 47-year-old golfer with a quirky swing and a trend of skipping the Super Bowl in hopes of winning the YMCA flag-football competition.

Kenny Perry is just doing it. The guy won the John Deere Classic yesterday for his third victory in five starts, reaching out and snatching his goal of making the Ryder Cup team like it was trying to execute a high five or spelling the word "it" correctly. He is making the game of golf look easy in Tiger-style and it is absolutely refreshing.

For anyone, including myself, that was worried of the state of the PGA Tour just a few weeks ago, the forecast looks sunny and temperate.

Perry defeated Brad Adamonis, 35, and Jay Williamson, 41, in a playoff that appeared more Champions Tour than PGA in all aspects except the golf. Kenny came to the 18th hole on Sunday needing a par to secure his third victory, but a hiccup from the fringe landed him with a bogey and in the playoff. Luckily for Perry, Williamson and Adamonis have a combined zero victories on the big boy tour, and struggled on the extra hole, finding the water as Perry tapped in for par and the trophy.