Michelle Wie's spectacular rise from local golf prodigy to international celebrity has made her one of the most recognizable figures in sports at the tender age of 16.
Like Tiger Woods, she has turned nonsports fans on to golf and made the game cool in the eyes of millions, particularly kids.
Wie's unique combination of childlike innocence and grown-up game, exotic good looks and awesome power caught fans' imagination, along with her willingness to take on the toughest challenges, against men and women of any age.
Wie first picked up the game here at the age of 4. By age 10, she already was making history by becoming the youngest to qualify for a U.S. Golf Association national amateur event. What followed was a historic amateur career where she became the youngest golfer to: qualify for an LPGA event (Takefuji Classic at 12); make a cut in an LPGA event (Kraft Nabisco Championship) and win a USGA adult championship (Women's Amateur Public Links, at 13); play a PGA Tour event (Sony Open); and be named to the U.S. Curtis Cup Team (14).
At 15, she became the first female to qualify for an adult male USGA championship, advancing to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links a few weeks before beginning her junior year at Punahou.
This year, she became the first female to advance to U.S. Open sectional qualifying and fell a step short of playing in the world's most prestigious championship.
Taking advantage of her considerable drawing power Wie, who gave up nearly $1 million in prize money as an amateur, turned professional five days before her 16th birthday and instantly became a multimillionaire. Her professional debut ended with her being disqualified for a controversial drop, which was brought to the attention of officials by a Sports Illustrated reporter. Even then, fans found something to cheer about in the graciousness she showed as the situation unfolded.
If anything, Wie's popularity has increased as a professional. Her final-round appearance in the final group at this year's Kraft Nabisco Championship drew a 1.8 rating for CBS, 76 percent higher than the previous year. Wie has lucrative endorsement deals with companies across the globe, most notably Sony and Nike. Her multilingual charm and gender-blending golf talents — she all but resides in the top five at LPGA events and made her first cut at a men's tour event this year — have created a transcendent personality people love or, at least, love to criticize.
