Wie looks ahead

SINGAPORE — Since bursting onto the golfing scene at the age of 10, Michelle Wie has, along with her many accolades, dealt with unmet expectations, critics and a career seemingly stuck in second gear.

But winning her long-awaited first Major title last year — the US Women’s Open — appears to have lifted a huge weight off her 1.85m-tall frame.

Now, the Hawaii-born Wie, 25, one of the biggest names headlining the US$1.4 million (S$1.91 million) HSBC Women’s Champions, which tees off tomorrow at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course, wants to usurp teenage sensation Lydia Ko as the world’s No 1 ranked women’s golfer.

But the current world No 6 knows she is her own worst enemy. “I have goals that involve winning majors and being No 1 in the world. But really, I want to focus on how I can do that,” Wie said yesterday at the Sentosa Golf Club. “It’s something I’ve been working on the past couple of years, that is really trying to stay in the present. It’s very cliche and it’s easier said than done, but it’s something that I’ve always kind of struggled with.”

The Stanford University alumnus, whose highest world ranking is sixth last year, was all smiles when introduced as the reigning US Open champion at the pre-tournament photo call at the Raffles City Convention Centre yesterday.

Her list of accolades includes once being the youngest golfer to qualify for an LPGA event, the 2002 Takefuji Classic, at the age of 12 years, four months and 14 days — the record was bettered by 11-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn in 2007 — and the youngest to make the LPGA cut at the 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

She turned professional in 2005, a week before her 16th birthday, and secured sponsorship deals with Nike and Sony reportedly worth more than US$10 million per year.

Tipped to take women’s golf by storm similar to how Tiger Woods did in the men’s game, a litany of injuries, including a broken wrist and back problems, curtailed the 2009 LPGA Rookie of the Year’s career. She finished 2012 and 2013 62nd and 61st, respectively, after being ranked 17th in 2011. Her inconsistency also drew flak from the likes of 10-time Major champion Annika Sorenstam, who described her as turning out to be “one of many.”

But Wie, who has nearly US$4.9 million in career earnings, is determined to put all that behind her.

“All my past, my lows, and my highs, it’s done,” said Wie. “I took a lot of positives and gained a lot of confidence (last year). I think just knowing that I could do it and that it’s possible.”

Coming off her best season on the LPGA Tour so far, 2015 looks a promising year for Wie, recharged from an off-season break in which she did not touch a golf club for six weeks, but spent it beating NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley at beer pong, filming a Nike commercial, and making a cameo appearance on Hawaii Five-O.

This week, Wie, together with Ko, Park In-bee and Stacey Lewis — the world’s No 1, 2 and 3 ranked players, respectively — as well as defending champion Paula Creamer will head a field of 60 of the world’s best female golfers vying for the US$210,000 winner’s cheque at Sentosa’s tricky par-72, 6,675m Serapong course.

Wie, who finished joint-ninth in Singapore last year, also wants to knock Ko — she described the 17-year-old New Zealander as the “most solid, well-rounded golfer” today with “no holes in her game” — off the No 1 spot this year, but does not believe women’s golf needs a dominant figure to drive it, much like how Woods almost single-handedly drove men’s golf.

“We have so many great personalities out there ... and it comes across on TV,” said Wie. “We want to beat one another, but also want to see everyone do well. We are very unified in making our tour stronger.”

Visit www.hsbcgolf.com/womens for ticketing and other details. The HSBC Women’s Champions will be shown on Singtel TV Ch 114 and StarHub TV Ch 208 on Thursday from 11.30am.

MICHELLE WIE FACT BOX:

Age: 25 (Oct 11, 1989)

Birthplace: Hawaii, USA

Height: 1.85m

Residence: Jupiter, Florida

Turned professional: 2005

LPGA Tour wins: 4

Best result in a Major: 2014 LPGA Championship winner

Youngest player to qualify for a USGA Amateur Championship and LPGA Tour event, youngest winner on the US Women’s Amateur Public Links.

Played in several tournaments on the men’s PGA Tour, the last being the 2008 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, but made no cuts.

Once allegedly accused of fabricating an injury by fellow pro Brittany Lincicome.