Media hype in Japan is growing over female golfer Michelle Wie's play starting Thursday in the men's Casio World Open in Kochi.

Wie and Japan's Ai Miyazato will try to become the first women players to make the cut in a men's event in Japan.

The Daily Sports ran a story headlined "Wie Fever" in its Sunday edition with Wie's arrival over the weekend, as some 300 fans and 46 reporters greeted her at the airport.

Wie and her parents flew in a chartered jet for 2,500 dollars per hour.

Tokyo Broadcasting System, which will air the tournament, has assigned two cameramen to exclusively follow Wie's every move.

An article in the English-language edition of the daily Asahi Shimbun said she is similar to Japanese slugger Hideki Matsui in that even the most annoying question cannot remove her constant smile.