BiographyGolfer. Born Michelle Sung Wie on October 11, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The daughter of a professor and real estate agent, Wie is a Korean American who began playing golf at age four. At 11, she was the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. In 2003, at the Women's Amateur Public Links, she became the youngest player ever to win a USGA event for adults.
In 2004 at age 14, Wie became the fourth female, and the youngest ever, to play in an event on the PGA Tour at the Sony Open in Hawaii. She missed the cut by just one shot. That year, Wie became the youngest woman ever selected to the play on the U.S. team, which went on to win.
At 6 feet in height, Wie is known for her long drives. Her average drive was about 280 yards at the age of 16. In 2005, she became the first female golfer to qualify for a USGA national men's tournament. She told Time magazine that she hoped to become the first woman to play at the Masters Championship.
That same year, Wie had a second place finish behind Annika Sorenstam at the McDonald’s LPGA Championships and came in third at the Women’s British Open that same year. Around the time of her sixteenth birthday, she announced that she was turning professional, reportedly signing sponsorship contracts with Nike and Sony worth more than $10 million per year. Wie was already well on her way to becoming a sports star, attracting an international following.
Since going pro, Wie has been on a roller coaster ride of a career. She was disqualified from the 2005 Samsung World Championship for a rules violation. During the 2006 season, Wie rallied with a string of Top 5 finishes in LPGA tournaments. She tied for third with Natalie Gulbis at the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship. At the U.S. Women’s Open, Wie ended up in a three-way tie for third place with Se Ri Pak and Stacy Prammanasudh.
Also in 2006, Wie continued to compete in the men’s tournaments. She became the second woman to make the cut at a men's tournament in South Korea and finished first in a local qualifying tournament for the Men's U.S. Open. At the 2006 John Deere Classic, Wie ran into difficulty dealing with the heat and was taken away from the course by ambulance.
Her 2007 season was marred by wrist injuries. In January, Wie broke her left wrist while jogging. She also developed problems with her right wrist as well. At the 2007 Sony Open, Wie did not make the cut. She then found herself under intense scrutiny after withdrawing from the 2007 Ginn Tribute, which was being hosted by Annika Sorenstam.
After playing 16 holes, Wie was approached by her manager on the course and they decided that she could not continue because of her wrist. Others speculated that her poor performance was the cause of her withdrawal and indicated that she may have been worried about the LGPA’s 88 rule that prevents any player who doesn’t break 88 in a round to complete that competition or compete in other LPGA events for the rest of the season.
