As Michelle Wie strode up the 18th fairway and her image flashed on the jumbo screen, a standing ovation arose from the fans who lined the hole and filled the skyboxes.

Amid a setting sun that was reflected off the windows of the houses on the ridge and a faint rainbow overhead, she tapped in a putt for birdie and raised a hand in celebration.

All in all a scene probably much like Wie might have hoped for on cut day at the Sony Open in Hawai'i, where the goal had been to become the first female to make a PGA Tour cut in 61 years.

It was, instead, a haunting vision of what might have been if not for the disappointing 9-over-par 79 opening round Thursday. A dream too far and history deferred despite Wie's rally for seven birdies yesterday in a 2-under 68 for a two-day total of 147.

"Yeah," she said of the reflective walk up 18, "I thought about it (what could have been)."

Nor was she probably alone in that.

If it wasn't enough to propel her back to making a cut she missed by four strokes, yesterday's performance at least served as a reminder of why the considerable expectation was there in the first place.

It was a reminder of the talent and potential that nearly three months ago to the day had brought the grand announcement of her multi-million dollar endorsement deals just a short drive away at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

With four birdies in five holes, spanning Nos. 8 and 12 yesterday, Wie did more than pay back the throngs, seven and eight deep in some places, that turned out to lend support. With a 68 that matched her best PGA round at Waialae Country Club a day after the 79 that equalled her worst against men pros, she reminded us of the mercurial nature of 16-year-olds in particular if not so-called phenoms in general.

One day she is bouncing from bunker to bunker on the same hole as she did on No. 15 Thursday. And, the next she is finishing with the same score as former Masters champion Craig Stadler and Kemper winner Frank Lickliter II. And, better than past British Open champion Todd Hamilton, Hawaiian Open winner John Cook, PGA champ Shaun Micheel and Memorial champ Bart Bryant.

Maybe next year will finally be the year Wie makes history as the first female to make a PGA Tour cut since Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias. If she doesn't pull it off in a return to the John Deere Classic — or some other stop — first.

Camilo Villegas, one of her playing partners, noted, "she was definitely more calm today from the first tee, just making jokes and laughing and having fun and she played awesome. I mean, wow, she hit some great shots.

"I just wish she would have done that yesterday."

Yesterday as she walked up 18, the day's performance left a lot of people with that same thought.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.