Michelle Wie

The Korean-American Michelle Wie is the latest of Hawaii’s surprise great golfers, and one of the youngest to come from anywhere. In 2002, at a mere thirteen years of age (Wie was born October 11, 1989), she made a historic qualification for an LPGA event as the Association’s youngest ever qualified player. At 6’1” tall, Wie is still racking up accomplishments that would make players twice her age envious—and is turning all the buzz into a suite of lucrative endorsement contracts with major companies such as Nike, as well as lesser known Korean interests.

While it’s too early to say anything definitively, Michelle Wie is garnering comparisons to Tiger Woods for her power (she already comes close to driving with the big boys), her youth, and her status as a fan favorite (she is quickly becoming a role model for younger girls). She herself started playing the game at age four, and before entering her teens had enjoyed participation in a number of educational and confidence-bolstering amateur tournaments. Always preferring to play at the limit of her abilities rather than be a big fish in a small pond, Wie made a very early move to pro at the age of 15.

Her gamble has paid off, and she has been enjoying a career of steadily improving standings, though many believe her nerves have gotten the better of her at previous majors. With strong third place showings solidifying her record, Wie can look forward to productive tournament play for years to come. Another possible sign of her immaturity came in the form of a rules violation in her first-ever professional tournament. The event ended in a disqualification for Wie and a black eye on her record. Following this embarrassing and disappointing result, Wie shot unevenly several tournaments, often with trouble sustaining her excellent performance throughout an entire tournament. Signs show that her play is becoming more consistent, and her growing legion of fans look forward to what many consider her inevitable qualification to a men’s tournament.