Michelle Wie is Tiger Woods. And I mean that in a good way.

Remember those TV commercials that showed a bunch of kids declaring, "I am Tiger Woods"? Well, it turns out Michelle Wie was one of those kids, at least figuratively.

The commercial's message was understood to be: "I am not who you were expecting, but I can compete at the highest level." When Tiger turned pro in 1996 and within a year turned in a dominating performance at the Masters, everyone took notice. Tiger spiked interest in golf, especially among younger fans and ethnic groups.

Now Michelle Wie is about to do the same thing. She is about to change sports in a way no one ever imagined. She's about to change attitudes about women. In short, she's about to change the world.

And here's why. The world is ready for it.

The world has been itching for this. It is why Danica Patrick led the Indianapolis 500. It is why Lisa Leslie dunked in the WNBA All-Star Game. It is why Wie soon will make a cut and play regularly on the PGA Tour.

If you watched any of the John Deere Classic last week, you can't help but agree. Wie was bidding to become the first female in 60 years to make the cut on the PGA Tour. If not for a wayward drive with four holes left, she would have done it at age 15 and in her third PGA tournament.

Many critics say Wie should follow Tiger's path and dominate in the junior ranks before she tries to turn pro. "She needs to learn how to win," the mantra goes.

What these people don't understand is that it doesn't matter if Wie ever wins a PGA or an LPGA tournament. People in Lebanon, Ohio, this week weren't lined up three deep and craning their necks at the U.S. Publinx so they could watch the future Weetabix Women's British Open champ. They wanted to see a player who has the unusual ability to play on any tee box on the planet.

Some critics also have said Wie should help out the women's game by playing mainly on the LPGA Tour. But this is sort of like telling Clark Kent to put away his red cape and focus on his newspaper job. Yeah, it would be noble, but it also would be denying Wie her most precious talent. By playing against men, Wie will do so much more for the women's game by bringing more attention to any LPGA tournament she enters.

Young girls are the one demographic you don't see at tournaments right now. But imagine your daughter or your niece watching Wie compete with the best male players in the world, beating many of them and getting more attention than all of them. What do you think that will do for their confidence and self-image as young girls? What do you think that will do for them as women?

If Wie were to listen to critics and focus on the LPGA Tour, the best she could hope for would be to dominate like Annika Sorenstam. But we already have one Annika. We don't need another.

What we do need is another Tiger Woods. And Michelle Wie is it.