- The Big Not-So-Wiesy:  The circumstances are somewhat (though perhaps not completely) different but much like John Daly’s two week European sojourn at the beginning of May, Michelle Wie is on the Continent this week, competing at the LET’s Ladies German Open in Munich.  The 18-year-old Wie, who has thus far tied for 72nd at the Fields Open and missed the cut at Kingsmill in two 2008 LPGA starts, is in Germany on a sponsor exemption (sound familiar?) and cites the desire to play more frequently as her reason for making the marked step down in competition.  Thankfully, early indications are that her game is at least ready for this crowd, as  Wie birdied three of her first five holes at the Golfpark Gut Hausern, then added one more at the 17th to post a four-under-par 68, good for a tie for 7th some four shots back of leader Nina Reis of Sweden.  Though most of those positioned above her are largely unknown to American fans, the seven players tied with Wie at 68 include former University of Florida star (and 2002 LET Order of Merit winner) Paula Marti and two-time Solheim Cup competitor and regular LET winner Gwladys Nocera of France.  Can Wie – whose surely more adapted to her student life at Stanford than a competitive professional regimen – hold it together for 54 more holes?  Hopefully so – but back in February at the Fields Open, she carded a strong first-round 69, only to collapse with subsequent scores of 73 and 78.  So we’ll see.

- In The Dark:  As this is another of those weeks when the Sunshine Tour lacks live scoring, I will save the circuit’s many, many fans the effort and report that with rounds of 67-66, Vaughn Groenwald holds a two-shot lead at the 54-hole Vodacom Origins of Golf event at the Selborne Country Club.  Groenwald’s lead is hardly safe, however, as the threesome most loosely on his tail includes Nic Henning, recent winner Jean Hugo and a re-energized Desvonde Botes (he of 15 career Sunshine titles).  Even more importantly, heading up the group of four players standing three back is the great PowerHouse McIntyre, who’s made nine birdies and an eagle during rounds of 67-69.  Can the PowerHouse actually win?  Can he complete an entire event without a single “other” on his card?  Stay tuned…

- It’s Harder than It Looks:  Last year, then-15-year-old amateur Ryo Ishikawa made history by winning the Japan Tour’s Munsingwear Open, defeating a full field of professionals when a birdie at the 71st hole clinched a closing 66 and a one-stroke triumph over Katsumasa Miyamoto.  Turning professional soon thereafter, Ishikawa began the 2008 J Tour with high hopes, and seemed quickly to prove his ’07 performance no fluke by tying for 5th at the season-opening Token Homemate Cup in April.  But with expectations thus peaking, the now-16-year-old has largely backed off since, tying for 42nd at the Tusruya Open, then missing the cut in the three events (the Crowns, the Japan PGA and the Munsingwear) that he has entered since.  And this week?  He sits T88 following an opening-round 75 at the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup.  So while it’s surely a bit early to be drawing parallels to Marty Fleckman, it’s a good bet that Ishikawa has by now concluded that this is indeed harder than it looks.