Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Michelle Wie far from finished portrait
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-12 09:24

She is a grizzled veteran at age 15, having competed on professional tours at least once every year since 2002, when she was in the seventh grade, had braces and was only hitting her drives 280 yards.


Michelle Wie hits from the 10th fairway during the Mercedes Championships Pro-Amn Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2005n at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii. [AP]
Wie looked relaxed Tuesday morning, casually greeting Kirk Triplett on the range at Waialae Country Club, then heading to the 10th tee for a practice round with Ernie Els as if it was just another day, although certainly not the typical day of a high school sophomore.

But the expectations are higher than ever, and criticism is starting to mount.

No one disputes that her potential is unlimited, but the focus is shifting to a trophy case that is collecting dust.

"There is an art form to winning, and learning how to win different ways," Tiger Woods said last week. "Learning how to win when you're dominating, learning how to win when you don't have anything at all. There's so many different ways you can win a golf tournament. I think I've gone through all of that, so I've learned.

"And it served me very well once I got out here."

It was the same philosophy Woods spoke about last year, but this time he added a caveat.

"What she's doing might hurt her," he said. "But in the end, she might be so talented she might just win everything. And it might be a new way of doing it."

That's something to keep in mind this week when Wie plays in the Sony Open.

The portrait is far from finished.

A year ago, Wie birdied two of the last three holes in the second round for a 68, the lowest score by a female of any age competing on a men's tour. She finished at even-par 140, which was better than 47 other men at the Sony Open but still one shot short of making the cut.

Her goal is to play on the weekend at Waialae. If everything goes perfectly — and that's about what had to happen for her to shoot 68 last year — the ultimate would be to finish in the top 20. Told that would mean finishing ahead of 124 players, she smiled and said, "That would be really cool."

Maybe it was just a coincidence that Wie played Tuesday with Els and Justin Rose, who turned pro after tying for fourth in the 1998 British Open, then missed his first 21 cuts as a professional.

It would not be a failure if Wie missed the cut, or even finished dead last at the Sony Open.

Wie remains a work in progress, and progress is hard to measure when her road is unlike any other.

"Normal reporters look at consequences," said her father, B.J. Wie. "We look at the process."

The only trophy Wie held last year was the Curtis Cup, shared by seven other amateur women. She failed to defend her title at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, and lost in the second round at the Women's Amateur.

Wie has heard the whispers about winning, and questions about her strategy to play against the very best competition instead of trying to beat kids her own age.

"Some are so ridiculous I actually laughed," she said. "I'm actually grateful, because those words made me practice harder. If I didn't read them, I might just sit back and not practice."

Measure her by the professional events, and the outlook changes.

Wie tied for fourth in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, up from a tie for ninth the previous year in the LPGA's first major championship. She tied for 13th at the U.S. Women's Open, up for a tie for 39th. She made the cut in all seven LPGA events, only finishing out of the top 20th once.

"For her, winning is not the true test of progress," said David Leadbetter, her swing coach. "If you look at Michelle, she's maturing as a person, she's physically stronger, she has more variety of shots. She categorically is a better player. But that doesn't always compute that she will do just as well in any one tournament.

"A lot is expected of her, and she's really handling it well," he said. "She's very confident of her own ability. She's got a plan in her mind of what she's trying to do. This route has not been taken. She's sort of a pioneer."

She took the Sony Open route last year, and it was no surprise the tournament offered her another exemption. Ticket sales spiked by some 20 percent, and Wie remains a big attraction in a field that includes Els, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen.

Still, her father was nervous when the invitation became official.

"I couldn't sleep well because I was worried about her performance," B.J. Wie said. "Her 2004 performance was very excellent. But it's hard to make the second movie as successful as the first one. Michelle told me, 'Dad, don't worry. I'm not interested in making the cut, I'm interested in the top 20.' I'm the only choker in my family. My wife and Michelle are very aggressive.

"It's not a normal way to think," he said. "But she proves to me many times that she's not normal."

Wie is not taking the normal route — not the one taken by Woods, or even Venus and Serena Williams (news - web sites), whose father kept them out of the top tennis circuits until they were ready.

Perhaps, as Woods suggested, she is blazing a new path.

It will be mentioned many times this week, but is worth repeating.

She is only 15.

And that's years away from anyone being able to judge whether she is doing the right thing.



Lakers beat Timberwolves 105-96
Peng Shuang defeats Anastasia Myskina in Sydney
AC Milan 0-0 Palermo
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Nation jumps to be world third largest trader

 

   
 

Hu offers systematic cure to corruption

 

   
 

Cross-Straits charter flight talks proposed

 

   
 

Draft law aims to hold back monopolies

 

   
 

Wintry Beijing tackles heating shortfalls

 

   
 

'Extremely critical' flaw threatens IE users

 

   
  Kleinschmidt wins Dakar stage marred by death
   
  Bryant downplays game trip to Colorado
   
  Australian Open celebrates its 100th year
   
  Suns prepare for big game with Miami Heat
   
  Honda and BAT joint venture buys BAR F1 team
   
  Lakers rally to top Timberwolves 105-96
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 伊人久久精品亚洲午夜| 国产精品三级av及在线观看| 丰满岳乱妇在线观看中字无码| 欧美国产中文字幕| 亚洲香蕉在线观看| 精品国产福利片在线观看| 国产乱理伦片在线看夜| 国产精品亚洲精品青青青| 国产精品爽爽va在线观看无码| HUGEBOOBS熟妇大波霸| 强行扒开双腿猛烈进入| 久久99精品久久久久婷婷| 日韩电影免费在线观看视频| 亚洲国产一区二区三区在线观看| 污污的软件下载| 人妻少妇边接电话边娇喘| 精品亚洲麻豆1区2区3区| 四虎影库久免费视频| 野外三级国产在线观看 | 激情五月亚洲色图| 免费人成在线观看网站| 精品日产一区二区三区| 四虎影院永久网址| 色88久久久久高潮综合影院| 国产伦子系列麻豆精品| 黄色毛片视频免费| 国产成人无码A区在线观看导航| tom影院亚洲国产一区二区| 波多野结衣和黑人| 新婚之夜女警迎合粗大| 亚洲国产另类久久久精品黑人| 永久黄网站色视频免费直播| 伊人久久五月天| 男人的天堂色偷偷之色偷偷 | a级毛片100部免费观看| 好紧我太爽了视频免费国产| 一级毛片人与动免费观看| 成人免费视频国产| 丁香花在线观看免费观看图片| 成人影片在线免费观看| 中国一级毛片免费看视频|