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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, August 27, 2009

Wie helps ratings game


    Advertiser Staff

     • Solheim just what Wie needed

    Hawai'i's Michelle Wie made an indelible impression in her debut at last weekend's Solheim Cup. The event drew 120,000 spectators to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., and the final day earned the highest rating ever, tripling the Sunday rating of the last Cup.

    The Golf Channel had a .93 rating Sunday, which represents more than 956,000 viewers. It is the highest for an LPGA telecast on TGC this year and second only to the U.S. Women's Open for women's golf on TV this year — cable or broadcast.

    Wie, an LPGA rookie who earned a captain's pick based solely on her play this year (the Cup is played every two years), went 3-0-1. She and European Gwladys Nocera, also 3-0-1, had the best records. Wie was only the second tour rookie ever to play on the U.S. team.

    A record number of matches this year — 14 — played out to 18 holes. Wie was involved in three, inspiring Saturday partner Cristie Kerr to offer to caddie for her in a tournament.

    Wie's response was, "You swear?" Kerr also offered to assess Wie's new and improved putting, tweaked by Champions Tour player Dave Stockton and his son when she came back from Europe. Wie said she "just rang Dave Stockton up" because she felt her putting had faltered recently.

    "It seems like she's a lot more still with her body and she's just swinging the putter," said Kerr, one of the LPGA's best putters. "And the rhythm of the putter is so much better, which comes from keeping your body still. But the pace she's hitting her putts with is absolutely perfect."

    Kerr went on to say she and Wie built a friendship last week "we'll probably have forever."

    "She definitely came out of her shell," Kerr said. "She's such a good person. She's got a great heart and great spirit, and I think that, you know, maybe with the media she got off to the wrong foot in some respects, but I think she's very, very good for women's golf."

    Wie tees off in the Safeway Classic tomorrow, at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon. She returns to Stanford next month.