Wie's major feat still talk of golf world
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
The buzz normally reserved for golfers Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen at this week's U.S. Open in North Carolina has been overshadowed with questions about the Big Wiesy.
Gail Burton • Associated Press
"Everybody is asking me about Michelle Wie," said Hawai'i resident Mark Rolfing, an NBC Sports golf analyst and Golf Channel contributor who is at the U.S. Open. "Usually, it's about, 'Who is going to win the Open?' or 'What do you think about the rough?' "
Michelle Wie, whose runner-up finish in the McDonald's LPGA Championship would have been worth $164,385 had she been a professional, has now turned down more than $600,000.
Wie, a 15-year-old who will be a junior at Punahou in August, is still making headlines after her runner-up finish at the McDonald's LPGA Championship on Sunday. Annika Sorenstam won the major for the third year in a row.
To keep her amateur status, Wie has turned down winnings of $606,225 in 15 tournament since 2003, including $164,385 on Sunday that allowed third-place finishers Paula Creamer and Laura Davies to each pocket an additional $36,000.
Afterward, Wie joked about Creamer's payday, saying, "she better give some of that to me," adding, "I don't really care about that stuff."
Those close to Wie — such as the 56-year-old Rolfing who is a family friend and has interviewed the young star numerous times — wonder how much criticism she can withstand for her early success, and insist she has no immediate intentions of turning professional despite her strong performance at the LPGA Championship.
It was Wie's best finish in a professional event, and the best by an amateur in a major since Jenny Chuasiriporn lost a playoff in the 1998 U.S. Women's Open.
Remaining LPGA schedule: U.S. Women's Open, June 23-26 Evian Masters, July 20-23 Weetabix Women's British Open, July 28-31 Samsung World Championship, October 13-16
Wie has finished in the top 15 in all four professional tournaments this year, including a tie for second in the SBS Open at the Turtle Bay Resort in February.
Wie schedule
"In my opinion, she still wants to play against the men, and she wants to play in the Masters," said Rolfing, who talked with Wie and her father yesterday. "Her ticket to the Masters is through the men's U.S. Public Links, which, if she's a pro, she can't try and qualify for."
Wie is scheduled to begin her pursuit of the Masters with a 36-hole Publinx qualifier today in Pittsburgh.
"She's taken the hardest route possible to get into the Masters," said Rolfing, who lives in Kapalua, Maui, and is a consultant with the Hawai'i Tourism Authority. "I don't think she can do it (today) to be honest. But if she does, it will be an unbelievable achievement."
In past years, Wie has been criticized by some in the media and some of her peers for playing in professional tournaments without qualifying for them. Wie has said she merely accepts sponsors' exemptions, and does not campaign for them.
"I'm pretty used to people (tour players) not wanting me at tournaments by now," Wie said Sunday. "It didn't give me that, 'Oh, I have to prove to them.' I don't want to prove anything to anyone."
Rolfing said the criticism of Wie has become more prevalent recently, becoming the focus of some stories. Rolfing said he's bracing for more of the same at this week's U.S. Open.
"The thing about Michelle that is so difficult, I think right now, is that nobody in the media is really saying anything good," Rolfing said. "They're interviewing players that say she shouldn't have been in the field last week, or she should earn her stripes, or she should go the route of Tiger Woods. Nobody is asking her questions about how well she has done.
"People can criticize her, but I don't think that she really cares," Rolfing continued. "She told me tonight, 'I love my life. I'm a happy teenager.' "
Apparently, Wie remains happy despite not pocketing any of her winnings. Rolfing said Wie sometimes jokes about what she could do with more money, but he added, "that's typical of a 15-year-old."
Wie can petition LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw or his successor to get on the LPGA, and golfing insiders believe she would be approved. However, Wie said in March that "petitioning isn't really on my mind," and that she still wanted to attend college.
In the past, Wie and her father, BJ, have joked that she would turn pro if someone offered her "Tiger money," or endorsements similar to the more than $100 million Woods reportedly earns annually.
"If she had a million dollars, at the age of 15, what would she do with it?" Rolfing said. "I don't know. What could she buy that she doesn't have? I'm convinced that the money is not an issue for her right now."
Rolfing said he's expecting better performances from Wie in the coming months, once she starts playing regularly. Her next LPGA event is the U.S. Women's Open, June 23 to 26. It's an event Wie qualified for with her 13th-place tie in last year's Open.
"What I've noticed about Michelle is ... when she plays a couple of weeks in a row, she gets better every time," Rolfing said. "She doesn't have the opportunity to play three weeks in a row on the LPGA Tour like a Paula Creamer does. I think if she can run together a couple of three-week stretches, she'll win. Without a doubt."
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.
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