Sports Capsule for Wednesday — September 24, 2003

• Kaua‘i grapplers can compete for national rankings

• Wie returns to LPGA tournament

Kaua‘i grapplers can compete for national rankings

Kendall Goo Jiu-Jitsu presents the Waalani Enterprises 2003 Kaua‘i Grappler’s Paradise. Kaua‘i’s top athletes will put it all on the line to become the island’s first undisputed champions.

The event will be Kaua‘i’s first nationally-ranked Jiu-Jitsu tournament. Fighters will be able to see where they rank amongst the nation’s best martial artists and grapplers.

Weigh-ins are set for Friday, Sept. 26, 4 – 7 p.m. at Kauai Gym in Kapa‘a. The tournament starts Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Kapa‘a Middle School gymnasium.

Wie returns to LPGA tournament

Michelle Wie plays more tournament golf than Greg Norman these days.

After missing the cut in the Boise Open on the Nationwide Tour, Wie returns this week to the LPGA Tour for the Safeway Classic in Portland.

The 13-year-old from Hawai‘i then gets a two-week break before going to Korea for the Sports Today CJ Nine Bridges Classic, which will be her seventh and final LPGA Tour event of the year.

Including her appearance on the Canadian Tour, Wie will have played nine professional tournaments this year.

What does next year hold? Wie has lobbied for a sponsor’s exemption into the Sony Open in January, where last year she shot a 73 in the Monday qualifier and missed by seven shots.

“I’ve been talking to committee members,” said her father, B.J. Wie. “They’re still taking her under consideration. They told me they would make a decision in November.”

Wie can forget about playing in the other Hawai‘i tournaments. The Mercedes Championships on Maui is only for PGA Tour winners, while the Grand Slam of Golf at Poipu Bay is for winners of the four majors.

“The Grand Slam will be tough,” B.J. Wie said. “Maybe she can play in the pro-am.”