Posted on: Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Transcripts of Michelle Wie's interview

From LPGA.com

Punahou School senior Michelle Wie will be playing in this week's Samsung World Championship in Palm Desert, Calif.

Wie was interviewed by Paul Rovnak of lpga.com Tuesday. The 72-hole tournament starts Thursday at the Bighorn Golf Club, Canyons Course.

Here are the interview transcripts:

PAUL ROVNAK: Michelle, thanks for coming and joining us. This is your eighth LPGA event this year and also your last event. Can you talk about coming into your last LPGA event of the year.

MICHELLE WIE: "I'm really looking forward to this tournament. You know, my last event, I can't believe it. I can't believe the year has gone by just so fast. I so much fun in all of my events this year. And, you know, hopefully I will have a good finish."

Q. What are your memories of last year when you think of one thing about Samsung, what's the first thing that you think of?

MICHELLE WIE: "I think that's pretty obvious."

Q. I want to hear it from you?

MICHELLE WIE: "Well, you know, there is a lot of memories but obviously, let's put it this way I have been practicing my drops."

Q. Michelle, who is your caddy going to be this week?

MICHELLE WIE: "Fanny (Sunesson)."

Q. Michelle how would you assess your first year an a pro, you have had some ups and some downs; how have you coped with it and what have you learned from some of the tough times, if you will?

MICHELLE WIE: "I think it was a very hectic this year. You know, I think I had a successful year this year. I feel like I am very proud of the fact that I was in contention in almost every single tournament that I played in. Three out of four majors, Top 5. Being in contention, Sunday. I learned a lot from it and I felt like, you know, obviously I had my downs this year but I think I had a lot more ups than downs.

"I have to say it was a good first year. It was a lot of fun and I am looking forwarded to my second year."

Q. Did you wear down at all in the summer, obviously you had the heat stroke and a couple of tough finishes in the European Tour and the PGA TOUR, were you tired? How do you assess that little stretch of times where things seemed to be a little rough for you?

MICHELLE WIE: "I think that was the growing pains. I have to learn how to schedule better, how much my body can take and when I should play, how many tournaments is the peak for me, and I think that, you know, my first year I haven't got it down yet, and obviously I learn from my mistakes and, you know, I really realize how much my body can take."

Q. Michelle as far as golf goes what is the biggest difference from today to a year ago?

MICHELLE WIE: "Well, I think I feel like I'm a little more consistent with my game. Hopefully, it's been a lot more consistent. I feel like with one more year under my belt I feel like I have a little more experience, a little more data bank to recall from. So I just feel like I've matured a little bit hopefully."

Q. You talk about being a hectic year, was it hectic that you traveled all over the world to play, or hectic playing more tournaments?

MICHELLE WIE: "Well, I just think it was hectic because there was, you know, school and then golf and then sponsors. So the first year it's always like you're never really ready for it no matter how much you prepare for it. It's just like, oh my gosh. It was hectic but it was fun. I can't imagine it going another way. It's just the way I imagined it. I imagined it would be hectic but it was fun."

Q. Obviously you are still in school, how is school going, are you comfortable?

MICHELLE WIE: "Yes, I love it. It's tough. It's not the easiest thing going to high school and playing on Tour. But, you know, like I said, I can never really do it another way. I love it. I just love going to school and then taking time off just going to school and then playing in tournaments, and I think that's also the reason why it's so hectic because I kind of have a dual life almost. It's a lot of fun. I like changing back and forth between different worlds. It's great."

Q. Michelle, what element of your game this year do you think let you down?

MICHELLE WIE: "Well, I just think that, you know, a couple of errant shots. I mean there is not really one part that I can pick out. It was different every week basically. Some tournaments it's this, some tournaments it's that. It always changes. That's what golf is. There wasn't really one thing that pops up in my mind right now."

Q. Just a quick follow up with you, and your parents, what do you think as a threesome you learned this year from this season especially when they saw you faultier a little bit, a little heat problem, all of that, when you get back to the house, and there is nobody else around but the three of you, what do you think you guys learned as a family this year?

MICHELLE WIE: "Well, you know, I mean obviously, because of scheduling, when we are sitting down and looking at our schedule, I think I'm invincible. I think I can play every single week. I am 16, I won't get heat stroke. But I'm still human, I mean. It's an enormous amount of pressure, in the heat, wearing long pants. It's not the greatest.

"I think I have to realize that even though I'm young, my body, sometimes cannot handle playing every single week. So we've learned to know how far I can take myself, what's my limit, what should I work on more. What should I focus on more. And you know how to handle everything."

Q. In the last year you get one shot you could do over, which one? Take as much time as you need.

MICHELLE WIE: "Let's see, I think it was McDonald's, the wedge shot on 16. Yes."

Q. Michelle, can you talk about how it is that you are perceived now as a role model now that you are a top athlete?

MICHELLE WIE: "It's a little weird, you know, it pretty cool. I mean seeing that people look up to me as a role model. It's pretty awesome. But it's a little strange for me still. People come up to me, 'my kids look up to you.' I'm like 'oh, great.' "

Q. For the most part it's more adults coming up to you telling you you are a role model for the kids, rather than the kids coming up to you?

MICHELLE WIE: "The kids come up, but they are usually shy. But it's really cool when kids come up to me and they are like, yeah, we really look up to you. I was in Korea once and a girl wrote me a card. It was really touching me. It motivates me even more to do better. It's really nice."

Q. Now that your a senior, what are your thoughts about college? Everything so exciting in your life, have you been thinking about that?

MICHELLE WIE: "I mean I'm doing early apps right now and college essays. Let me tell you it's stressful."

Q. So you are still thinking about going to college?

MICHELLE WIE: "Yes, definitely, yes.

Q. Early what?

MICHELLE WIE: "Early applications."

Q. It's been a while?

MICHELLE WIE: "Sorry, high school slang."

Q. You mentioned the hectic aspect of your rookie year as a pro, will you alter anything next year? Will you maybe not play as many events, less men's events or less LPGA events, or do you think you'll just approach them differently?

MICHELLE WIE: "Well, I haven't really, we haven't really, sat down and talked about next year, but I think as now I know my limits, the number of tournaments in a row and how to handle my sponsor days, and school, and stuff like that. But we really haven't sat down and put everything together. It's like here's what I can do. I don't know."

Q. Men's events are still in your future?

MICHELLE WIE: "Definitely, it's a long term goal for me. I'm going to work at it. I'm not going to achieve it overnight. It's just going to be a long process for me. You know, I'm willing to work at it. It's a lot of fun for me, so definitely, hopefully, I'm going to play a lot of men's events this year."

Q. Are you planning to play full time in the LPGA?

MICHELLE WIE: "I haven't really thought about next year really."

Q. Speaking of next year, if you don't mind, given your experience in the Curtis Cup, have you thought any at all about the Solheim Cup, and have you or your parents investigated any way you would be eligible for it?

MICHELLE WIE: "I think Solheim Cup would be really awesome. I had such a fun time at Curtis Cup going over there in Europe and really coming together as a team, because golf is such an individual sport and that one week your opponents basically become your team member. It was just really a special experience for me. And, you know, I love to play in it. I'm not really sure if I can or cannot. I haven't really thought about it. I think it's really good, it's going to be a fun time."

Q. When you turned pro how quickly did you expect to win? Would you have thought you would have won by now, be patient, it will happen? When you lay down your goals and present them to yourself, I want to win this year, be patient or have fun?

MICHELLE WIE: "I wanted to win when I was an amateur. Every week I go into, I want to win. At the same time I'm thinking I'm just going to try my hardest. I'm just going to play every shot. I'm going to play every shot as best as I can, and if that result is winning, that's awesome. And if not, I will end the week knowing that I tried my hardest. This year I really felt like every tournament I gave it my hundred percent. I'm just going to I'm not going to force it to happen because it will happen.

"I believe that if I just try my hardest and work on my game as hard as I can, it's going to happen. I guess I'm taking it patiently, but I feel like being in contention this year, and the Majors, and really getting the feel for what's it like to be in contention on the Sunday in a Major. I feel like I learned a lot from that. From doing that, and from being in contention a lot of times I feel like that's the way that I'm learning how to win and I feel like it's going to happen."

Q. I would be curious that, when you go back to the 16th at McDonald's, how much did that linger? In other words, how much did you think about that shot say a week or so afterwards and what did you do wrong on that shot? Did you ask yourself these questions later?

MICHELLE WIE: "Thoughts don't really linger that long in my mind, they kind of go in and out and actually reenter and then come out. It's quite complicated.

"You know, I had a wedge in my hand and obviously, it was a bad shot, so that's the reason why I would like to redo it. But it was just a bad wedge shot. I mean shots like that happen and unfortunately it happened on that hole. But I forgot about it. David sent me a video about how to hit my wedge shots. Wedge shots 101. So it felt good after that."

Q. Michelle, you mentioned how you are trying to play more men's event, there have been a lot of criticisms, equal rights, women's rights.

MICHELLE WIE: "Not really. But, you know, it's really nice to hear from people that come up to me, especially a lot of women come up to me and they are like, yeah, it's really nice to see someone play against the men. Not because of equal rights, not just because of a woman's right.

"People come up to me and they are like, we really enjoy watching you trying to push yourself and play against the men. Hearing those kind of things, it's nice and obviously my parents, my friends, you know, family friends, everyone you know they really support me. So I feel like I'm doing the right thing.

Q. When you comeback to a competition after a little bit of a layoff, four or five weeks whatever, is there anything in particular that you are concerned about with your game, anything in particular?

MICHELLE WIE: "Not really. I mean I've been working on everything, and I feel like if I get back into the momentum, you know, playing a tournament, I think I'll do fine. I mean there is nothing really I'm worried about it."

Q. What I hear more out there is that concern from people, not criticisms, they worry when things don't go right for you in the men's tournament, they are worried that mentally it's going to ultimately affect you in the women's tournament, you already said things go in and out of your head quickly, do you feel it's not playing tricks in your head a little bit?

MICHELLE WIE: "I think it is so sweet that everybody has so many concerns for me. (laughter)"

Q. They are saying nice things, they worry about you?

MICHELLE WIE: "It's nice to know that people are concerned about you. I'm OK. I'm good."

Q. I'm just curious if you can talk about your driving.

MICHELLE WIE: "Well, that's interesting. One thing I would say, if you see me on the road, go in the opposite direction. (laughter)."

Q. Any accidents yet?

MICHELLE WIE: "No, no accidents. No."

Q. When do you get a car?

MICHELLE WIE: "When will I get a car? (Laughter) I don't know."

Q. I think you said a year ago the great thing about being pro is all of the free stuff you get, so what did you get for your birthday?

MICHELLE WIE: "I don't know, I haven't got really anything yet."

Q. What do you want for your birthday?

MICHELLE WIE: "I don't know. A car would be nice actually. But you know, I don't know, I don't really know."

Q. Are you doing anything to celebrate tomorrow?

MICHELLE WIE: "No, I don't think so. I don't know actually what I'm going to do. I actually do want a puppy though?"

Q. What are you going to name it?

MICHELLE WIE: "I don't know. I don't know. Those are my three favorite words right now."

Q. Are you settled into your home here?

MICHELLE WIE: "It's so nice, I love my home right now. It's such a nice feeling actually going to your house in a tournament because you usually go to hotels or something like that. Actually going to my house, I mean it feels really good to wake up in my bed. I put a nice Sony TV on my wall. I turn on the TV. It's funny. My mom and dad both come into my room, not to see me but to see my TV. It's like, 'Oh, it's so pretty.' Oh thanks. Not you, the TV. Okay."

Q. They don't have their own TV?

MICHELLE WIE: "It didn't come yet."