Golfer of the Week – Michelle Wie

MICHELLE Wie (born October 11, 1989) is an American professional golfer on the LPGA Tour and a student at Stanford University. Since an early age Michelle has commanded international attention for her prodigious golfing ability and her charisma, making her one of the most influential athletes in women’s sports. While expecting to graduate from Stanford in March 2012, Michelle has already won two events on the LPGA tour, has had seven top-ten finishes in Major competition, as well as having shot the lowest round ever recorded by a woman golfer in a men’s PGA tour event.  
Michelle was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA on October 11, 1989 to Byung-Wook “B.J.” Wie and Bo Wie, both of whom had immigrated to the USA from South Korea (Republic of Korea). B.J. had been a professor of transportation management at the University of Hawaii and coached the young Michelle, often serving as her caddy. Michelle began playing golf at four years of age and was soon able to drive the ball 100 yards. By the time she reached age 12 Michelle could power the ball more than 300 yards. B.J. explained to Golf World, “Michelle has always liked to hit the ball hard. Sometimes it would go right, sometimes left, but it didn’t matter. She just wanted to hit it hard.” Michelle grew up in Honolulu and graduated from Punahou School. She decided to attend Stanford University where her grandfather, Dr. Sang Kyu Wie had been a visiting professor. Also, Michelle’s uncle earned a pH in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford and her aunt earned a Masters in Industrial Engineering at Stanford.
In 2000, at the age of 10, Michelle became the youngest qualifier ever at the USGA Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. The milestones began to pile up quickly. Michelle won the Honolulu Mayor’s Open and was low amateur in the Hawaii State Women’s Open. Over the next three years she electrified Hawaiian golf with victories and shattered records for youngest ever in virtually every category.
By the age of 13, Michelle took her prowess to a whole new level by becoming the youngest golfer ever to make the cut at an LPGA tour event, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, a major no less, where she finished in the top 10. PGA golf champion Fred Couples witnessed the 13-year old Michelle’s swing first-hand and was amazed, exclaiming, “When you see her hit a  golf ball, there’s nothing that prepares you for it. It’s just the scariest thing you’ve ever seen.”
At age 14, Michelle finished in the top 20 in six of the seven LPGA  events she entered that year including a 4th place at the Kraft  Nabisco. In early 2004, Michelle competed in the men’s PGA Sony  Open at Waialae. She shot 72/68, missing the cut by just one shot,  yet finishing ahead of future US Open winner Lucas Glover, PGA  Champion Shaun Micheel, and future Sony Open winner Ryan Palmer.
At only 14 years of age, she became the first woman to shoot a  sub-par round in a sanctioned Men’s PGA event.
The next year, 2005, saw Michelle finish second in three of seven LPGA  events including the LPGA Championship, to go with a 3rd place in the British Open. Michelle turned professional later that year just before her 16th birthday.
The Rolex World Rankings were formulated in February 2006 and ranked Michelle  number three in the world behind full-time golfers Annika Sorenstam and Paula  Creamer. As the LPGA Tour minimum age requirement is 18 years old, Michelle was  able to compete in only a limited number of events through the next three years until becoming eligible to earn her Tour Card. She spent this period focusing on  school life, friends, art, music and working on her game while playing seven LPGA  events each season and various other forays into women’s and men’s golf around  the globe. In December 2008 Michelle earned her Tour Card for 2009 at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in Daytona Beach, Florida.