A morning threesome with Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis at U.S. Women's Open - Wie stumbles with an 82

(SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.) – 8:06 a.m. - It’s too early to be making these kinds of decisions.

On the 10th tee of Pine Needles, you’ve got hall-of-famer Karrie Webb and major winner Morgan Pressel…

Teeing off at the same time on the first, marketing queens Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulblis - both winless.

I went off with Gulbis & Wie (and Christina Kim).

I’m not saying I’m proud of it. I felt like I’d just passed up on a critically-acclaimed indy flick to go see Spiderman 3 for the second time. I wasn’t the only one. The gallery grew and grew as the round progressed.

An always smiling Gulbis found a steady groove after a shaky bogey-bogey start. She hit almost every fairway and green for a good stretch of holes, including three birdies in four holes. She was a methodical robot - with shiny accessories and very pleasant manners.

Two bogeys in the last three however brought her back to 3-over, but still in the hunt.

Wie on the other hand, saw a decent 38 front side deteriorate with a 44 back nine (82). She didn’t hit driver as far I could tell, and was usually 10-20 yards behind Gulbis and Kim. She only hit four fairways. Swing coach David Leadbetter - easily identifiable with his pants hiked up to his neck as usual - watched well off the ropes in the shade with Wie’s pops B.J.

After the round, Gulbis went into public areas and signed autographs for anyone who wanted one. Wie faced the media.

“My score is not displaying how I’m playing at all,” said Wie. I felt like I made a lot of great scrambles out there, and it’s frustrating because I know I’m a better player than this score.”

If they moved all the fairways and greens about 20 yards left, she might be right, but I didn’t see much promise in her round. There were some horrid shots, and I had stopped watching by 15. She said her wrist was fine, but her tee ball wasn’t. She didn’t blame the course, “The USGA did a great job,” she said.

In fact, she sounded more mature than Phil Mickelson a few weeks ago at Oakmont. But that won’t save her from going home early just like Lefty.

Gulbis & Wie were talkative during the round, with Kim in spurts as well. Turns out, the three haven’t played in the same group since Wie’s first major appearance, the Kraft Nabisco four years ago.

“We were joking around,” said Wie. “We had a really great time, they’re two great players.”

Meanwhile on Screen B, Pressel shot a solid even par round, while Webb shot even higher than Wie - 83.