Michelle Wie will return to the John Deere Classic near the Quad Cities to play against the men. The 17-year-old Wie has accepted a sponsor exemption to play in the tournament as she tries to become the first woman since 1945 to make the cut at a PGA Tour event.
Tournament director Clair Peterson says Wie has become part of their community and she draws a lot of people to the event. Wie fell two shots short of making the cut in 2005 and last year had to withdraw from the tournament midway through the second round due to heat exhaustion. Peterson says if Wie makes the cut, that would be historic and great. He says they always try to develop a relationship with new players, male or female.
Peterson says Wie is popular with the fans and believes they want to see her compete against the men, again. He says they don’t have any sense of it getting old, and says it would have been a disappointment had Wie not come back. Peterson says they have had many favorite sons, and consider Wie a favorite daughter.
Wie is getting one of four unrestricted sponsor exemptions to play in the tournament. This year’s John Deere Classic is July ninth through the 15th.
Governor Chet Culver has signed a bill into law which sets aside four-million dollars in state tax money to be awarded as grants for small businesses being started by women, minorities or disabled Iowans. 
