Wie pushes aside critics at U.S. Women's Open

Times-News, June 27th, 2007

SOUTHERN PINES — An hour and a half later, bystanders milling around the first tee still were dissecting Michelle Wie’s two errantly sprayed drives that opened her practice round Tuesday for the U.S. Women’s Open.

So it seems the swirling discussion and intense scrutiny endlessly associated with the 17-year-old Hawaiian has touched down here at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club.

After nursing a broken wrist for five months — and three weeks past a disappointing LPGA Championship performance — Wie is here struggling to regain the playing form behind her perpetual buzz.

Even though she already has withdrawn from the approaching John Deere Classic on the men’s tour.

“I’m not as strong as I can be and I’m not hitting the ball as long as I can,” she said. “So I felt like if I’m not hitting the ball as long as I can this week then I won’t be able to hit it in two weeks.

“But come on, this is a U.S. freaking Open this week. I’m not going to miss it for anything.”
Wie, who’s waiting on her college housing and roommate assignments at Stanford for this fall, created a public relations disaster in May at a tournament called the Ginn Tribute
Hosted by Annika — as in Sorenstam.

She withdrew, citing wrist issues, after playing her first 16 competitive holes since January at 14-over-par. Speculation persisted that she pulled out to avoid crossing the LPGA’s “88 Rule,” which prevents non-members who shoot 88 or worse from entering events the rest of the year.

That drew reputation-challenging criticism from Sorenstam and prompted a meeting with LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens.

“I haven’t really seen her yet this week,” Wie said Tuesday, when asked if her relationship with Sorenstam has become contentious.

“There’s been no contact between us,” Sorenstam said later in the day. “I’m not really sure how to deal with these type of things. All I can say is I said what I wanted to say and I stand for what I say and I still feel that way.”

Earlier this month, Wie made the LPGA Championship cut on the number. She then continued to stumble along at RiverTowne Country Club in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., carding rounds of 83 and 79 and finishing last by 10 strokes at the second major of the year.

And yet with her 18th birthday about four months away, Wie never has missed a cut in her four previous U.S. Women’s Opens. Her best finish is last year’s tie for third at Newport (R.I.) Country Club, one of her six Top 10s in majors.

“After sitting on the couch for five months my passion and motivation is even stronger than ever,” she said. “I’m doing a lot better. My wrist is getting a lot stronger but I still have good days and bad days.

“I’m practicing a lot and doing a lot of gripping exercises. I know that hitting balls made me strong in the past and that’s what I need to keep doing. I’ve been practicing so hard that my thumb is raw.”