It was criticism from one of the best in women’s golf, and Michelle Wie was hurt.
Annika Sorenstam, who has retired from the LPGA, suggested last month during the U.S. Women’s Open that Wie was shortchanging women’s golf by pursuing her degree at Stanford.
“I think her focus, in my opinion, should be more on golf,” Sorenstam said. “She’s very distracted with school, doesn’t really play as much full time as I thought she would. I think she needs to come out here and compete more regularly.”
Sorenstam, who did praise Wie’s potential and athletic ability, also said, “You wonder if she’s mentally strong enough to finish at the top.”
“While waiting to start college in Sweden, Sörenstam worked as a personal assistant at the Swedish PGA and played on the Swedish Ladies Telia Tour, winning three tournaments during 1990/1991.
After a coach spotted Sörenstam playing in a collegiate event in Tokyo, she moved to the United States to attend college at the University of Arizona. She won seven collegiate titles and in 1991, became the first non-American and first freshman to win the individual NCAA National Championship. She was 1991 NCAA Co-Player of the Year with Kelly Robbins, runner-up in the 1992 NCAA National Championship, 1992 Pac-10 champion and a 1991-92 NCAA All-American. At the 1992 United States Women’s Amateur Golf Championship, she was the runner-up to Vicki Goetze and thus received an invitation to play in the 1992 U.S. Women’s Open, where she finished tied for 63rd. Having turned professional in 1992 and missing her LPGA Tour card at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament by one shot, she began her professional career on the Ladies European Tour or LET, formerly known as the WPGET.”
Never let anyone tell you what you can’t do. Especially when they have proven their own words wrong.
