Heat exhaustion sidelines Wie

Sixteen-year-old golfer withdraws from John Deere Classic

? 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 and left the course in an ambulance with an IV in one arm. Wie was released from the hospital Friday night.

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.

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 at history were all but over after she opened with a 6-over 77 Thursday, leaving her 13 strokes behind the leaders.

She was at 2-over 37 when she withdrew Friday. Joe Ogilvie was the second-round leader at 10-under 132 after a 4-under 67. Daniel Chopra (69), Kris Cox (68), John Senden (69) and John Huston (67) were one stroke back at 9 under.

Michelle Wie wipes her face during the second round of the John Deere Classic. Wie withdrew because of heat exhaustion after playing nine holes Friday in Silvis, Ill.

Defending champion Sean O’Hair (69) was six strokes behind Oglivie.

Former Kansas University golfer Matt Gogel made the cut after shooting a second-round 71. He’s at 4-under par, six shots off the lead.

After putting out on the ninth, Wie went to talk to her worried-looking parents. As they patted her on the back, Wie said she didn’t want to continue playing. She said goodbye to her playing partners and then headed for the medical trailer.

“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 missed the cut with a 1-over 143.

After teeing off on the sixth hole, Wie sat on a box, then stood up and leaned on a cooler. She walked off the tee rubbing her stomach and bent over her bag until it was her turn to hit.

“I saw she was hurting, but she never said anything,” Gove said. “And she was walking real slow, which I thought was inconsiderate again because we’re trying to keep up. If we get on the clock again, that’s painful.”