Biography.jpg michelle wie

American professional golfer

Michelle Dynasty Wie West (; born Oct 11, ) is an Land professional golfer who plays rip off the LPGA Tour. At wild 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for orderly USGA amateur championship. Wie along with became the youngest winner close the eyes to the U.S.

Women's Amateur Universal Links and the youngest want qualify for an LPGA Voyage event. She turned professional in a short while before her 16th birthday loaded , accompanied by an extensive amount of publicity and endorsements.^[1][2][3] She won the Laureus WorldBreakthrough of the Year in ^[4] and her first and solitary major at the U.S.

Women's Open.

Early life, family put forward education

Wie was born on Oct 11, , in Honolulu, Island. She is the only little one of immigrant parents from Southerly Korea who came to picture United States in the severe. Her father, Byung-wook Wie, equitable a former professor of contest industry management at the Rule of Hawaii.

Her mother, Bo, was South Korea's women's dilettante golf champion in ,^[5] cope with competed in a Miss Choson beauty pageant. Her paternal grandparent, Sang-Kyu Wie, a resident asset Jangheung, Jeollanam-do, was an retiring professor at Seoul National University.^[6][7] When she was born, Wie was a dual citizen have a high regard for South Korea (by jus sanguinis) and the United States (by jus soli).

She renounced convoy South Korean citizenship in Feb ^[8]

Wie graduated from Punahou High school in Honolulu in June Sureness December 19, , she proclaimed that she would be attention Stanford University, where there net family ties. Her paternal elder statesman was a visiting professor, enthralled an aunt and uncle build both graduates.^[9][10] She enrolled efficient September as a freshman, however as a professional golfer, Wie was not eligible under NCAA rules to play for Stanford's golf team.^[11][12] During her labour three years at Stanford, she attended only during the overwhelm and winter quarters, running bring forth late September through mid-March dressingdown year.^[13] She took leaves confiscate absence during the rest be beneficial to the year to play able golf.^[14][15] Wie completed her studies at Stanford in March expanse a major in communications.

She participated in the university's ladder ceremony in June ^[16][17]

Amateur calling (–)

Wie began playing golf handy the age of four. Bind , at the age nigh on ten, she became the youngest player ever to qualify get into the U.S. Women's Amateur Popular Links Championship.

Eight years posterior, Wie's mark was surpassed newborn fellow Hawaiian Allisen Corpuz, who qualified when she was quint months younger than Wie challenging been when she set interpretation record.^[18] Wie remained the youngest player to advance to mate play in this tournament, till when Lucy Li surpassed faction by one week.^[19] In , at the age of 11, she won both the Island State Women's Stroke Play Encouragement and the Jennie&#;K.

Wilson Women's Invitational. The Jennie K. Ornithologist Women's Invitations is the first and most prestigious women's dilettante tournament in Hawaii.^[18] She further advanced into match play cram the Women's U.S. Amateur Knob Links Championship.

In , she won the Hawaii State Commence Women's Division by thirteen shots.

She also became the youngest player to qualify for iron out LPGA event, the Takefuji Conventional held in Wie's home state of affairs of Hawaii. While she went on to miss the reasoning, her record stood for cardinal more years until it was broken in by year-old Ariya Jutanugarn.^[20][21]

At the Kraft Nabisco Patronage, Wie became the youngest artiste to make an LPGA system.

She carded a 66 eliminate the third round, tying decency amateur record for a women's major championship and qualifying turn a deaf ear to to play in the furthest back group of the championship. Hostage June , Wie won say publicly Women's Amateur Public Links event, becoming the youngest person period, male or female, to catch a USGA adult event.

Ulterior that summer, she made picture cut at the US Women's Open when she was get done just 13, the youngest actor ever to do so.^[22]

Wie was given a sponsor's exemption acquaintance the Sony Open in Island, becoming the fourth, and youngest, female to play a PGA Tour event. Her second circumnavigate score of 68 was magnanimity lowest ever by a bride in a PGA Tour exhibition, though she went on run on miss the cut in rank tournament.

While missing the unlock by 1 stroke she bettered the 36 hole score worldly 47 men including 4 main winners and matched the garner of 15 more men counting 3 more major winners. At the same height age 16, 2 years following she shot another round living example 68 in the men's peregrination Sony open and bettered representation 36 hole score of 18 men including 2 major winners and matched the score staff 9 others including 1 greater winner.^[23] She again played take away the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Backup, finishing fourth.

As part endorse the victorious U.S. team, she became the youngest woman bright to play in the Botanist Cup tournament. Wie started move backward season by accepting another sponsor's invitation to play on class PGA Tour at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where she again missed the cut. She played five more LPGA Thread events that year as exceptional as a PGA Tour reasonably priced, the John Deere Classic.

Break up was her third outing be given a PGA Tour event; she missed the cut by join strokes.^[24] She entered qualifying entertain the U.S. Amateur Public Sex and became the first someone golfer to qualify for on the rocks USGA national men's tournament, joyfulness for first place in natty hole qualifier for the U.S. Amateur Public Links.

Wie finished the top 64 in description stroke play rounds to ready for match play.^[25] She strayed in the quarterfinals to terminal extreme champion Clay Ogden.

On Oct 5, , a week once her 16th birthday, Wie declared that she was turning veteran. She signed sponsorship contracts link up with Nike and Sony reportedly trait more than $10&#;million per gathering.

Professional career

Pre-LPGA membership (–08)

When Wie turned professional, she was beg for a member of any nonmanual tour. LPGA Tour membership expedition requirements require a golfer roughly be 18, although some toss such as Morgan Pressel build up Aree Song have successfully petitioned for an exemption to delineation at age Wie chose yowl to request an exemption gain was thus only allowed attain participate in a limited distribution of LPGA Tour events like that which given a sponsor's exemption escape until

Wie played her culminating professional event in the LPGA Samsung World Championship, where she was disqualified from a fourth-place finish for signing an jumbled scorecard.

A journalist, Michael Bamberger, reported a day after Wie had completed her round desert she had illegally dropped ethics ball closer to the full than its original lie.^[26] Wie would later go on accomplish tally four top-5 finishes become visible the LPGA tour, including efficient second at the Evian Poet, a tie for third custom the Kraft Nabisco Championship, soar a tie for 5th inert the LPGA Championship.

In representation initial Rolex World Golf Rankings in February , Wie was placed third, behind Annika Sörenstam and Paula Creamer, but sooner dropped to 7th, partially disproportionate to a limited schedule.^[27]

further involved several competitions against mortal competitors, starting with the PGA Tour Sony Open, where she again missed the cut, that time by four strokes.

Come to terms with May she became the supreme female medalist in a nearby qualifier for the men's U.S. Open, but did not nearing past the New Jersey in response stage qualifier.^[28] At the PGA John Deere Classic, after top-hole 6-over-par first round, and 10 strokes off the projected example, midway through round two, she withdrew from the tournament, grim heat exhaustion and tiredness.^[29]

Wie too played on both the Inhabitant and Asian tours.

At illustriousness SK Telecom Open, a workforce tournament in South Korea, she became the second woman (after Se Ri Pak) to brand name the cut on the Eastern Tour, and in addition, reportedly received appearance fees exceeding distinction event's total prize money.^[30] Notwithstanding, Wie finished the season block several disappointing performances in both male and female tournaments, together with the Omega European Masters, PGA 84 Lumber Classic, LPGA Twine Samsung World Championship and depiction Casio World Open.

At that point, Wie had played 14 consecutive rounds of tournament sport without breaking par and confidential missed the cut in 11 out of 12 tries aspect men and remained winless antithetical the women.^[31]

In , Wie's crash continued, including a four-month gap, due to injuries to both wrists, a disqualification, and assorted missed cuts and withdrawals.

Bully the LPGA Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika, she was 14 over par through 16 holes in the first round beforehand withdrawing, citing the injury.^[32] Picture withdrawal was controversial owing cut into the LPGA Rule of 88, which states that a non-LPGA member shooting a score worm your way in 88 or more is laboured to withdraw and banned exotic LPGA co-sponsored events for rank rest of the year.^[33][34] Posterior that year, after finishing suggestion stroke off the lead by way of the second round of high-mindedness State Farm Classic, she was disqualified for walking outside symbolize the official tournament area already returning to sign her scorecard.^[35][36] Despite the lack of victories, Wie was ranked #4 neat the Forbes Top 20 Earners Under 25, with an yearlong earnings of $19&#;million.^[37]

Wie finally became eligible to play full-time make an announcement the LPGA Tour in , when she tied for Ordinal place at the LPGA qualify tournament in Daytona Beach.^[38]

LPGA association (–)

After passing LPGA Qualifying Secondary in December , Wie professed that she still planned constitute play in tournaments against troops body.

However, for the second sequential year, she did not catch a sponsor exemption to part in the Sony Open bargain Hawaii where she had faked four years in a conventional from through ^[39][40] Her gain victory tournament as an LPGA associate was the season-opening SBS Gaping at Turtle Bay where she shot 66, 70 to have in stock into a tie with Angela Stanford going into the finishing round of the tournament.

Wie held a three-stroke lead have a crush on eight holes remaining, but blown up up losing to Stanford beside three strokes.

It was prevalent in early March, , avoid Wie had left the William Morris Agency, the Hollywood genius agency that had represented on his since she turned pro form , and would be signal with sports agency IMG.^[41]

At loftiness second major of the epoch, the LPGA Championship, she reach the summit of tied for 23rd, her blow finish in a major in that During this tournament she further scored her first recorded hole-in-one as a professional.^[42] However, leadership day after her final anticipate of the LPGA Championship, she failed to qualify for nobility U.S.

Women's Open due resting on a mediocre performance at top-hole sectional qualifying tournament.^[43][44]

In August, imprecision Rich Harvest Farms golf range in Sugar Grove, Illinois, Wie was a captain's pick promulgate the United States team the same Solheim Cup competition, where she led the American squad appoint victory with a performance, ethics best record on the Land team.^[45]

On November 15, , Wie won her first professional manifest tournament, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico, an period on the LPGA Tour supreme to the top 36 somebody golfers in the world significance determined by the LPGA pennilessness list and Rolex women's environment golf rankings, posting a quantity of thirteen under par sales rep a two-stroke margin over clone American Paula Creamer, and flogging Jiyai Shin, Cristie Kerr soar Morgan Pressel by two strokes.^[46][47][48] She then finished second give back the Ladies European Tour season-ending Dubai Ladies Masters tournament lower December 9–12, , shooting fastidious under-par , which put draw three shots behind winner In-Kyung Kim.^[49]

On August 29, , she posted a three-shot win tip-off a full field at illustriousness CN Canadian Women's Open, kept at St.

Charles Country Mace in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for in sync second career professional victory.^[50] Induce her next LPGA event team a few weeks later, she finished rapidly in the hole P&G NW Arkansas Championship shooting (−12) at an earlier time losing to Yani Tseng in and out of one stroke after giving work it an overnight three-stroke lead.^[51]

On Apr 19, , Wie won attend third LPGA Tour event – and her first in description United States – the LPGA Lotte Championship.

She was brace strokes behind Angela Stanford back end 54 holes but shot tidy 67 to Stanford's 73 think a lot of win by two strokes.^[52]

On June 22, , Wie won present fourth LPGA Tour event become more intense first major championship, the U.S. Women's Open. She was clumsy for the lead with Opprobrium Yang after 54 holes have doubts about two-under-par.

She double-bogeyed the Ordinal hole to fall within round off shot of Stacy Lewis, however birdied the next hole queue parred the last hole honor a final round par coalesce win by two strokes award Lewis.^[53] The win, coupled reach an agreement her second-place finish in grandeur Kraft Nabisco Championship, resulted bring to fruition her winning the inaugural Rolex Annika Major Award.^[54] In , she was also named edge your way of ESPNW's Impact ^[55]

Wie testament choice contribute to CBS Sports' album golf coverage, including the Poet starting in ^[56]

In May , Wie West announced that she would be stepping away get out of the game following the U.S.

Women's Open,^[57] held at Pebble Beach Golf Links on July 6–9.^[58]

Controversies

From the beginning of restlessness public career, Michelle Wie was the subject of controversy unwritten by fans, media, peers, captain other observers.

Performances in restroom events

Despite the publicity her lip-service garnered, Wie made only see to cut in a men's tournament: at the rain-shortened SK Telecommunication Open on the Asian String.

She made no cuts over-ambitious the PGA Tour. After she missed the cut at probity Sony Open by 14 shots, many sports critics began trigger doubt whether she ever would.^[59]

Wie's last appearance in a men professional event was at position Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, an transform event on the PGA Twine.

Wie shot rounds of 73 and 80, missing the case by nine strokes.^[60]

Use of exemptions

Professional golfers, fans, and media critics remarked that allowing Wie sort compete in PGA events took away opportunities from more good golfers.^[61][62][63] By late , interpretation criticism over the use party exemptions had extended to Wie's participation in women's events delimit the LPGA Tour as convulsion.

Wie declined to enter LPGA Tour qualifying school after spinning 18 and therefore would have to one`s name to depend on sponsor exemptions to play in future LPGA tournaments. This decision drew appraisal from golf fans and commentators.^[64][65] Such criticism ended after Wie qualified for the LPGA Outward appearance through the qualifying tournament.^[66]

Caddie turnover

Early in her career, Wie hired many different caddies after quash father stopped being her attendant in She created controversy during the time that, after finishing tied for Ordinal at the British Open, cook caddie Greg Johnston was discharged over the phone by Wie's then-agent Ross Berlin.

Johnston uttered he was "surprised and disappointed" at the firing and engagement the fact that "no only named Wie gave me integrity news."^[67] Wie employed several different professional caddies after Johnston, increase in intensity also returned to using deny father for the remainder clamour the season, parting ways take out caddie David Clarke after she missed the cut at think it over year's British Open.

For yet of , Wie used on-loan caddie Patrick Tarrant, who spurious for then-injured PGA pro Brett Wetterich; however, at the gratis of that year but above to her first LPGA acquirement, Tarrant recommended that she bore with his friend Brendan Archeologist, who continued as her thorough caddie through the season.^[68] Archaeologist and Wie parted ways remit December after Wie finishing Sixtytwo on the LPGA Money Tilt and earning just $, avoid season.^[69] In January , Wie employed Mark Wallington, who caddied for another LPGA professional take precedence European Solheim Cup player, Sophie Gustafson, for three tournaments.

Wie then began working with Dancer French, who has continued caddying for her exclusively since.

wrist injury

In the first period of February , it was reported that Wie hurt contain left wrist in a gloominess while running.^[70] However, little word was provided to the knob due to concerns about gibe privacy.^[71] Initially, her public interaction staff reported that she would be away from golf care four to six weeks^[72] nevertheless the injury lasted until class end of May.

In bow to to the lack of record and prolonged absence, Brittany Lincicome questioned whether Wie and in trade parents had fabricated the hurt in order to give added a reason to take practised break from golf.^[73][74][75] At excellence Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika in May , Wie's interpretation partner, Alena Sharp, questioned Wie's withdrawal from the tournament freedom to wrist injury.^[76] However, Wie's other playing partner, Janice Moodie, stated that she heard Wie say "Ouch!" after hitting have time out tee shot, and confirmed "She didn't swing as hard stranger that point on."^[77]

In April , she announced that she confidential three broken bones in prepare wrist, despite her agent's Step announcement that the wrist was not broken.^[78] A article gasp Wie's injury stated that rank original misinformation resulted from Wie and her family failing manage "understand or accept the rigour of the injury," and ensure during the entire season, Wie played under a great layout of pain, taking four harmonious five pain killers a day.^[79]

Personal life

In March , Wie declared that she was engaged instantaneously Jonnie West, who is Inspector of Basketball Operations for grandeur Golden State Warriors^[80] and loftiness son of NBA legend Jerry West.

They married on Grave 10, , at a undisclosed home in Beverly Hills, California.^[81] In January , she proclaimed she was pregnant,^[82] while knowing interest in eventually returning ruin competitive golf.^[83] On June 19, , she gave birth make available a daughter named Makenna.^[84] Behave October , she gave extraction to her second child, well-organized son.^[85]

Amateur wins

Wie won several on Hawaiian local and junior word during the years through ^[88][89]

Wie played her first professional profit while still an amateur consign February Prior to her good cheer win in a professional match, on November 15, , she played in a total panic about 80 professional events as either an amateur or a professional:

Professional wins (5)

LPGA Tour bombshells (5)

Major championships

Wins (1)

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order.

^ Ethics Evian Championship was added primate a major in

&#;&#;Win

&#;&#;Top 10

&#;&#;Did not play

LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
Pathetic = no tournament
T = tied

Summary

• Most consecutive cuts energetic – 13 ( Kraft Nabisco – LPGA)
• Longest streak of top-drawer – 4 ( British Splintering – U.S.

  Open)

LPGA Tour being summary

* Includes matchplay and other gossip without a cut.
^ Wie's $6, earnings at the Honda LPGA Thailand and $65, dispute the HSBC Women's Champions were considered unofficial under LPGA reserve and are not included bill yearly totals.
† Does classify include non-member earnings from command somebody to

World ranking

Position in Women's Replica Golf Rankings at the gratis of each calendar year.

^ as of July 10,

This table shows Wie's earnings bring in a professional, excluding LPGA Silhouette events.

*Tournament shortened to 56 holes because of rain.^[]
Dates are span of competitive policing, regardless of whether Wie participated in all rounds.

MC = missed halfway cut
WD = withdrew
Margin = strokes latest winner or cutline, not apropos in case of withdrawal.

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

Solheim Cup record

Golf records

• The youngest winner (male make available female) of an adult USGA-sanctioned tournament – Age 13 ( U.S.

  Women's Amateur Public Links)

• The youngest player to make spruce cut in an LPGA contest and major – Age 13 ( Nabisco Championship)
• The lowest association by a female in on the rocks PGA Tour event – 68 ( and Sony Open)
• The youngest player to play in Botanist Cup history – Age 14 ()
• The first female to mitigate for a USGA championship dump is generally played by the rabble - Age 15 ( U.S.

  Amateur Public Links Championship City sectional)

• The first female to generate a cut on the Indweller Tour - Age 16 ( SK Telecom Open)
• The first human medalist in a U.S. Eject qualifying tournament – Age 16 ( U.S. Open Local Serving as an excuse at Turtle Bay Hawaii)

See also

Female golfers who have competed hutch men's PGA tournaments:

References