Wie setting sights high for U.S. Open

By Tom Spousta
USA Today

Michelle Wie chips onto the 11th green during a practice round at the U.S. Women's Open at The Orchards in South Hadley, Mass. The 14-year-old received an exemption into the major. Associated Press 59th u.s. women's open When: Thursday through Sunday Site: Orchards Golf Club, South Hadley, Mass. Length: 6,473 yards. Par: 36-35-71 Purse: $3.1 million. Winner: $560,000 Last year: Hilary Lunke became the first qualifier to win the U.S. Women's Open, holing a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole of an 18-hole playoff to defeat Angela Stanford and Kelly Robbins at Pumpkin Ridge. TV: Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon, ESPN. Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon, NBC.

That didn't make losing any easier Sunday for the 14-year-old Wie, who last year became the youngest to win the Public Links.

Ya-Ni Tseng, a 15-year-old from Taiwan, birdied the 36th hole to beat Wie 1-up and become the second youngest to win the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

As Tseng's 12-foot putt dropped, Wie's tears began to flow, and the vanquished defending champion was quickly embraced by her mother, Bo.

"I didn't play my game, I just played terribly, but maybe everything will turn out to be better for the U.S. Open," Wie said after composing herself.

Wie's performance at the Public Links might soon be seen as a watershed moment in which she refined her game and replaced raw talent with controlled, savvy shot-making.

Most every hole she played, nearly every swing she made, almost every strategy she formulated was geared for this week's U.S. Women's Open at Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass.

"I learned how to shape my ball. I learned how to make some more putts. I learned how to swing easy and put it in the fairway," Wie said. "I got a lot of game plan done. This week will help me in the long term.

"I'm using every tournament as experience because I haven't played as much as the other players. They have a lot more experience. I try to work on new things and try to learn. Hopefully, it will peak and keep on a constant level for the U.S. Open."

Wie, the youngest to receive an exemption into a U.S. Open, absorbed some criticism as established LPGA players questioned the U.S. Golf Association extending her a free pass. Amid the hype for her second Open appearance and sniping over her special invitation, Wie quietly has reshaped her already formidable arsenal.

She has added a high, soft fade and a low, hard stinger shot to her repertoire, the result of a handful of special sessions with David Leadbetter at his academy at ChampionsGate Golf Resort in Kissimmee, Fla. There, Wie also absorbed tips from Ernie Els, Charles Howell III and Aaron Baddeley.

"I've been working the ball more," Wie said. "I'm a lot more consistent. I'm hitting more greens. I feel like I make less mistakes out there and don't give up as many strokes as I did."

Accordingly, she has adjusted her swing to a more inside plane, working on softer landings and less roll on greens and in fairways with Gary Gilchrist, the director of the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Wie also switched to a 9.5-degree lofted driver for more control off the tee, putting aside a 7-degree loft.

"I have to be able to do that at the U.S. Open. On some holes, there are going to be a lot of sucker pin placements, and you can't go at every one."

Field getting younger

Team Wie, which also includes BJ, her father, and mother Bo, hired a nutritionist, and Wie now eats smaller meals every three hours and more food on the course to keep her energy level constant.

And about a month ago, she met with Jim Loehr — a performance psychologist whose client list includes tennis stars Pete Sampras and Monica Seles, SWAT teams and business executives — after her father read Loehr's book, "The Making of the Corporate Athlete."

"He can't read three pages without stopping and telling me something from it," Wie said. "Mostly, it's about being assertive under pressure."

Her resolve might not constitute an extreme makeover, although Gilchrist, who has worked with Wie for two years, has never seen her game in such top form.

"The way she's playing now, she's more than ready for the U.S. Open," he said.

"Believe me, she wouldn't be going if she didn't think she had a chance to win it. That's her frame of mind."

Wie can attack amateur history at the Open much the way she would a short, downwind par-5.

Catherine Lacoste in 1967 is the only amateur to capture the title in the tournament's 58-year history.

Se Ri Pak was the youngest champion, winning in 1998 when she was 20 years, 9 months and 8 days. Grace Park carded 283 in 1999 for the lowest 72-hole score. And Carol Semple Thompson fired a 66 in 1994 for the lowest round by an amateur.

At last year's Open, Wie tied for 39th with the fourth lowest score by an amateur, finishing 15 shots from the playoff won by Hilary Lunke.