There's little down time in Wie's world

By Anne M. Peterson
Associated Press

According to her father, Michelle Wie "enjoys the attention. It makes her work harder." Associated Press 58th U.S. Women's Open Site: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (Witch Hollow course), North Plains, Ore. Course: 6,509/6,550 yards. Par 36-35—71. Format: 72 holes, stroke play. Cut: Top 60 and ties, and anyone within 10 strokes of the lead after 36 holes. Playoff, if necessary: 18 holes (stroke play) on Monday. Field: 156 (135 professionals, 21 amateurs). Defending champion: Juli Inkster. Teenagers in the field: 14. Noteworthy: When played to 6,550 yards, the Witch Hollow course will the be longest in U.S. Women's Open history. Today's Wie tee time: 11:24 a.m. Hawai'i time. Television: Today-tomorrow, 10 a.m., ESPN. Saturday, 10 a.m., NBC. Sunday, 9 a.m., NBC.

Then there were countless autographs to sign before the 13-year-old from Honolulu could get back to the task at hand. Practice.

Such is the life of golf's newest star as she prepares for the U.S. Women's Open that starts today.

"She enjoys the attention," said her father and caddie, BJ. "It makes her work harder."

Sizable galleries followed Wie at yesterday's final practice round on the Witch Hollow course. She drew polite applause for a well-placed uphill shot in a deep valley on 18.

Standing almost 6 feet tall, Wie captured the public's attention with Tiger-like 300-yard drives and has been hailed as the future of women's golf.

She burst on the scene earlier this year when she placed ninth in the Nabisco Classic, her first-ever LPGA major. Then she proved she wasn't only about power when she became the youngest player to win an adult USGA championship in the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links title two weeks ago.

And there's a lot more attention to come. Wie, who has played in three LPGA events this year as an amateur, is scheduled to play against men in the Canadian Tour's Bay Mills Open Players' Championship in August. Then she'll play on the men's Nationwide Tour with a sponsor's exemption in September.

Her goal? The Masters, of course.

When confronted with naysayers who say she's doing too much too soon, the confident teenager was defiant.

"I just think to myself, 'How do they know?' " she said. "I'm still young. I'm fresh. I can handle it."

While Wie probably has the highest profile of the 14 teenagers playing in the Open, she's not even the youngest. That honor goes to Sydney Burlison of California, who is nine days Wie's junior.

"I could be a mother to all of them," marveled 43-year-old Juli Inkster, who beat Annika Sorenstam by two strokes to win last year's Open.

Inkster said Wie's presence has given her more fire to play well.

"She's impressive, the way she hits the ball," Inkster said. "But I still feel that I can come out and compete and win. But it does get me going."

Two-time Open winner Karrie Webb expressed concern that perhaps Wie was coming along too fast.

"I just hope that she's doing what she's doing right now because she wants to do it, I guess. I just hope she doesn't get to a time in her life, like someone like (tennis star) Jennifer Capriati, when she doesn't want to do it anymore, because that would be a shame," Webb said.

BJ Wie said his daughter hates the word "burnout."

"I guess I don't really fear it," she said. "I guess if I do get burned out, I'll go to college, and at least I have a chance to do something else."

Giggling when microphone troubles made it difficult to hear questions, Wie was graceful under the scrutiny of the media. At one point she was asked if she had ever seen the U.S. Women's Open, and she simply smiled rather than answer.

Wie was accompanied during her practice round yesterday by her parents and her coach, in a group with LPGA Tour pros Hilary Lunke and Stephanie Louden.

The group parted ways after 11 holes. "Thank you so much," Louden said, giving Wie a hug. "Good luck to you."

Wie played on, her father gently offering suggestions in Korean.

Wie would like to play in the men's U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship as early as next year, with an eye toward her goal of playing in the Masters.

"I really want to play in the Masters and on the PGA Tour," she said, "because I think that will take me to the highest level."

Burlison and Wie have played together twice before, although they are just passing acquaintances.

"The main thing we talk about is when we get our braces off," Burlison said.

Wie is 1-up on that end. She has graduated to a retainer.