Teen star Wie eyes breakthrough
SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN (Arizona): Teen golf prodigy Michelle Wie (pic), coming off a runner-up LPGA finish two weeks ago, bids for her first tour title in the final tune-up event for next week's first major women's tournament.
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“My mind is on this tournament, trying to play good,” Wie said. “My game feels pretty good right now, working on a couple of things, but hopefully it will all be good for the tournament.
“I'm really looking forward to next week, too. I feel so excited to be playing in all four majors this year. “
Wie, foiled in bids to make the cut in the men's PGA Sony Open the past two years, posted her best showing in 18 LPGA starts last week, sharing second behind Jennifer Rosales.
“I was so close to winning it but it definitely gave me a confidence boost,” Wie said. “I kind of felt like my game wasn't the best in Hawaii, but I still finished pretty well, and it kind of shows what I can do.”
Wie can already feel that she has earned a place among the LPGA elite even though she would need to petition LPGA officials to claim a spot on the tour if she should win and want to make the jump to the pro ranks from high school.
“This is my fourth year out here. Over those years I got to know a lot of players and golf courses, the atmosphere,” she said. “It's really fun. I think more of the players are looking at me as a competitor, not as like an amateur.”
Wie nixed any notion that she might turn pro early. College is in her plans, although whether or not she will still be eligible to play there as an amateur is something she left vague.
“Petitioning (the LPGA) isn't really on my mind right now. I still definitely want to go to college,” Wie said. “I really look forward to the day I win, but I don't know what's going to happen after that.”
Wie has stressed her desire for groundbreaking feats. In her plans this year is a bid to qualify for the Masters by winning the US Public Links title.
“A lot of the qualifying times conflict, but if there's a qualifying site where I can go to, I'll definitely try out for the Public Links and try to achieve my goal.”
Beyond settling for women's world number one, Wie pondered her future in a decade and longed for more exceptional feats, something that might include more competition against male rivals.
“Definitely being ranked number one is satisfactory, but for me, I don't think that's enough for me. I don't know how to say it.” – AFP
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