Wie hopeful heading into Women’s U.S. Open

She's traveled the globe playing golf, earned millions of dollars and now at the ripe old age of 18 Michelle Wie is starting over.

Wie has almost healed from a significant wrist injury that hampered her during the 2007 season; out of nine events played Wie only managed to play all four rounds on three occasions while missing four cuts and withdrawing twice. 

In her last two events, Wie has shown flashes that have reminded us of the prodigy we bestowed so many accolades upon before she ever won a professional event; Wie is still searching for that first professional victory and has never won a 72-hole stroke play event at any level. In the European Tour's Ladies German Open Wie finished in sixth place, her best finish in two years. Last week she followed up that performance with a tie for 24^th at the Wegmans LPGA, including a final round 69.

For Wie, it's all about regaining that confidence and subtle swagger that had her headed toward superstardom.

"I think confidence in my game was the strongest part of my game," Wie said Tuesday afternoon at Interlachen Country Club, site of the 2008 Women's U.S. Open. "I felt like I learned last year that my distance came not only from my strength, but my confidence to go out at the ball. I feel like all these good shots, the last couple of good tournaments, put in my memory bank and I feel like I'm gaining confidence really quickly. It's a slow progress, but it's getting there. I'm getting a lot more confident with my game."

Wie, who is the youngest player to make the cut in the history of the U.S. Women's Open, had to qualify for this year's tournament. She's also made history in the men's U.S. Open, becoming the first female medalist in a local qualifier for that event according to the sponsoring United States Golf Association.

After everything she has been through, the subpar play, criticism and college, Wie enrolled at Stanford for two terms beginning last fall, she is just happy to be back at a Major Championship.

"I think it made me realize how much of an honor it is to be here, how much of a privilege it is," Wie said of having to qualify to gain entrance into the field. "It's been a long time since I had to qualify for something and it made me want it even more. I think going through that qualifying humbled me a lot as a player, as a person, and it brought me back to way back when I was like 12, 13 qualifying for the Public Links, qualifying for the Open. Sometimes you have to go back to your roots to become a better play and better."

Wie's last and most celebrated victory came at the Women's U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in June of 2003. She qualified for the same event at the age of ten, becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for the tournament. When she won, the victory was historic; Wie became the youngest person ever, male or female, to win a USGA adult event.

The 18-year-old passed up a chance to qualify and earn exempt status for the LPGA Tour and has survived on sponsor's exemptions from both the LPGA and PGA Tours over the past few seasons. There really hasn't been a need for Wie to earn full-fledged status on tour because of her celebrity status that draws spectators to women's golf events. After all, she may be the most famous player on the LPGA Tour and technically, she's not an official member of the tour.

On October 5, 2005, a week before her 16^th birthday, Wie announced in Hawaii that she was turning professional, reportedly signing sponsorship contracts with Nike and Sony worth more than $10 million.

So after all she's accomplished at such a young age, can she really consider herself to be starting over? Wie thinks so.

"I feel like I'm reemerging as a new player, a new person," Wie said. "I feel like I'm never, ever going to think about last year again. I'm not ever going to think about before I broke my wrist. That was then and this is now. I feel like from now on I'm only going to think about right now. I'm not going to think about that much in the future as well.

"I'm just going to think about today, think about this tournament, think about this round. And staying in the present has helped me a lot with my focus and just becoming like who I want to be and just taking it one step at a time."

And while many don't consider the label of child golf prodigy and the LPGA's equivalent to Tiger Woods completely expired, Wie is approaching her future with great humility. Who does she want to be? Simply, the best she can be.

"I realize I want to be able to fulfill my full potential," Wie said. "I want to be as healthy as I can. I want to be as good of a player as I can. I want to see how good I can get. I want to see how hard I can push and see how many tournaments I can win; see how happy I can become and just see what my potential is.

Wie will go for her first 72-hole stroke play victory starting Thursday at the U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minnesota.

Photos courtesy of MissMichelleWie.com