Back in 2004, Ernie Els played a practice round with Michelle Wie and after 18 holes he gushed, ‘To be honest with you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lady golfer swing the club as good as Michelle does.
I think a lot of what Michelle did today reminds me a lot of what Tiger used to do. She can play on this tour, for sure.’
Wie was lining up to make her debut against the best men’s PGA Tour golfers of the time. She shot rounds of 72 and 68 at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, and missed the cut by one shot. She finished ahead of 47 men, including 18 players who’d won on the PGA Tour, and she tied with Jim Furyk and Ben Curtis (the reigning US Open and Open champions).
Wie was 14 years old, still in Grade 9 at school. She was six-feet tall and driving the ball 300 yards.
The teenager with the ready smile and engaging personality was destined to become the next big thing in the sport. What Tiger Woods was to the men, she would be for women’s golf. But, she didn’t scale the heights.
Sure, she went on to win five times on the LPGA Tour, including one Major, the 2014 US Open, and she reached a high of No 2 in the Rolex Rankings. Such returns, though, were small change for a player regarded as a one-off. Now, a career curtailed by injuries and unrelenting expectation is over. Wie is now Michelle Wie-West and the mother of a two-year-old daughter and she has packed her clubs away for the final time as a professional athlete. She is 33.
It was during the US Open at Pebble Beach that reality dawned on her. She had, as she said, come full circle.
‘When I was there the week before, I played a practice round. Yeah, she was young, so I just went up to her and I was like, “How old are you?” and she replied, “I’m 14.” I asked, “Oh, wow, are you the youngest in the field?” and she said, “No.” …. and then a couple holes went by and I was like, “Hey, you know what? I can be your mom.” And I thought, “Wait a second, people have definitely said this to me on Tour before.” It was a moment that came full circle.’
In her final statement she said, ‘I’m so proud of the fact that I shot 68 in a PGA Tour event. I’m also proud of almost qualifying for the men’s US Open. Going to Stanford University while turning professional, finishing out my high school educational career and entering Stanford.’
Now she’s off to enjoy motherhood and the next phase of her life. Forbes estimates that she is worth some $30-million from her career earnings and endorsements. Which seems like car-guard money when compared to the amounts dished out to the men, especially with the launch of LIV Golf.
The ‘Tiger Woods’ of women’s golf has amassed the same amount in nearly 20 years of playing professionally that Charl Schwartzel earned in his first season of LIV Golf. Little wonder that Wie became an advocate for better pay for women golfers.
How did nearly 20 years just flash past like that? How is it that we’re saying that Wie didn’t fulfil her potential? How is it that we’re not talking more about a generational talent who inspired so many girls to try their hand at golf?
Thanks for your service, Michelle. Not many people can say they’re retired at 33, financially secure, and able to start the rest of their life going into their prime.
– This column first appeared in the August 2023 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.
