Michelle Wie needs to gear up
Michelle Wie needs to work on her performances of late. There seems to have been a career dip in the charming Wie's life, who had recently been brought down with a virus in the opening round of the Ladies Omega Masters in Dubai.
It was after a camel ride that Alexis ‘Lexi’ Thompson told the organizers she had become ill.
Fears of her withdrawal from the tournament were curbed later, much to the relief of 17-year old amateur Kavita Sehmi who had long looked forward to the pair up with Wei at the LOMD.
Wie has often been described as the life of the tournament, with peers claiming the 23-year-old Korean American to be lively and forthcoming with an active, highly-social game style. Everyone seems to enjoy being around her.
Wie has always had that prodigal-golfer’s air about her. At age 10, she was USGA Women's Amateur Public Links Championship youngest winner, and at age 14, she shot a sub-par round at the Men’s PGA Tour!
The Stanford-graduate’s game play, because of its intelligent strokes, is equally interesting to watch.
Amongst her inspirations have, undoubtedly been Lorena Ochoa and Jack Nicklaus from men’s golfing. She has played many a time at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
Only recently has her game come under incessant fire from critics who believe she is going under.
It is surprising to believe how many of these remarks concerning her recently pessimistic performance have made their way into accepted truths about Wie’s game and golfing competencies.
Some have even expressed their concern that Wie ought to consider retirement or pursue a career altogether different from golf.
Comments such as these are disheartening, especially when they come at a time which could possibly be a low in any accomplished golfer’s professional career.
At 23-years of age, she has momentous untapped potential still ahead of her, and any such commentary should not be taken all too seriously. It only serves to derail and distract.
Michelle Wie, if she would allow herself, could very well be the face of women’s golf, and looking back on a career of two decades of what could be brilliant golf, she will only feel she could have done much better.
She ought to be emulating the example of Mexican Lorena Ochoa, who, in an oft-quoted anecdote, approached Rafael Alarcon, the Canadian Amateur Championship winner, as he practiced his game in the greens close to where she lived with her family.
An 11-year-old Ochoa told him, “I would like to be the best player in the world.” About two decades from then, she was.
Wie ought to follow the trail blazed by Ochoa. She ought to keep her head clear, her ambitions high, and work on her game. Work on her game.
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