Hawaii’s Wie goes from phenom to easily forgotten
It felt kind of empty out here at Ko Olina on Friday without Michelle Wie gracing the grounds at the island resort.
If one thing holds true in this world, it’s that you don’t back the local favorite in a golf tournament. They rarely hoist the trophy come the weekend and often miss the cut outright, citing all the distractions of being back home again as the main reason for their untimely demise.
Wie has run the gamut at the myriad LPGA events she has played here, going from missing the cut to finishing first and a lot of spots in between. After such a stellar 2014, including a win here at the Lotte Championship, Wie has wandered off the reservation again, dropping to No. 59 worldwide.
Two years ago, she finished first at the U.S. Women’s Open and second at the ANA Inspiration (formerly the Kraft) in a dazzling display that showed the potential the Punahou product possessed. But as quickly as she shot up LPGA leaderboards across the land, 2015 was a return to the kerplunks that have dotted one of the more controversial careers in golf.
For those of us living here, we’ve been treated to so many different versions and makeovers of this 26-year-old communications graduate of Stanford University, it’s hard to know which one we’re getting when.
Naive choices made by her and the family long ago helped shaped our opinion of the Big Wiesy, who gave us a much different point of view than provided to the worldwide media.
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Now, the national folks don’t even bother coming to town. They’ve moved on to another phenom playing golf someplace else and what interest there is in Wie these days is pretty limited at best. Plagued by injuries and illness that have marginalized her on-again, off-again career, Wie is becoming just another golfer among the 144 trying their best to make a living out here in the grind of grinds.
A few years ago, one of the top national golf writers correctly predicted Wie would never live up to the potential heaped on her like all those endorsements she signed as a bright-eyed teenager. She never seemed to realize what a charmed life she led, and as time ticks by, the chances of cashing in on all that opportunity grow dim.
To make matters worse, because she pounded so many golf balls when giving it a rest would have been a better choice, she is now paying a huge price physically for not saying no then.
Wrist injuries, stress fractures, knee problems. You’d think we were talking about 50-something Juli Inkster, not a woman half her age.
Not that everything went bad for Wie. She has won four times so far on tour and has cashed more than $5 million worth of paychecks. Not to mention all the millions she made in endorsements you hope is tucked away safely somewhere ready for her to spend.
But you get the feeling she could have done so much more had she been managed better or coached correctly at critical junctures in this oft-criticized career.
37 responses to “Hawaii’s Wie goes from phenom to easily forgotten”
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Parental intervention pushed her beyond her limit.
Her fail from grace from her days of youth are likely attributable to her change in swings and swing coach. Ledbetter has led her to her downward path but she, hard headedly, refuses to change. What the hey, it can’t get much worse than not making the cut on your home turf. I recall that when they chose him, knowledgeable people predicted this fall.
Driving Accuracy 53.27 % 145
great article, and a very honest assessment of her history, could serve as advice to future young hawaii golf stars which I am sure will happen. Coaching and sound advice are critical.
Agree.
agree. She was a media darling who got every break for simply being from here. I agree that the huge endorsements were far too big and unjustified. Now, there are many younger golfers who have surpassed her. She was a good high school golfer though.
I said it from the beginning…… She’s overrated but hell, Wie made millions and set for life.
Golf is more than just skill, it is 40% a “head game”. Michelle is too much absorbed with the spotlight and selling her image, it gets in the way of her game.
Over-rated. It you guys, the media who hyped her as being a superstar. BUT, gotta admit, she’s one of the hottest female golfers around.
She should do porn.
she has awesome b o o b s
Anyone watching Michelle’s (non)performance in the Lotte could easily see what was wrong. She wasn’t wearing those racing stripes on her beautiful legs — you know, those colorful strips of fabric that were all the rage a couple years ago, that supposedly keep muscles properly toned or something.
Oh, leave her alone! She had a bad first round and the second wasn’t much better. She’s still gonna make more money than most of us. She’s still young and has accomplished a lot. Punahou grads have a different mindset. They are trail blazers and have the ability and drive to go for it.
Agree.
Yes Punahou Grads and students do have different mindset….Overrated, over druged, spoiled, and parents pay for everything attitude…. Oh yea forgot!
their set for life with all the hook ups you get from friend and Alum….
Pretty broad negative brush you paint there. But -just like anywhere, there are successful, not-so-successful, lucky, unlucky, nice, not-as-nice, smart, not-as-smart, etc, etc – at Punahou and any school. The people coming out of there are for the most part good kids, who were given a good education, but don’t trumpet their Punahou connection too much, because of jealousy, and small-minded critics – kinda like you appear to be, based on your commentary here. Being a critic is EASY, and a sarcastic or caustic critic, easy too, but shows no class. Going out and playing golf at a high level week-in and week-out – not so easy. Most in Hawaii wish her the best, despite having her struggles along the way.
I agree. They are taught to reach higher. I like overachievers, they try!
Don’t listen to allie, has no respectability.
I prefer my North Dakota public high school. Punahou, which has been declining in the national ratings, has fallen behind Iolani. Overhyped really.
There you have it. You will quote the source of the “declining ratings”, particularly as compared to the alleged North Dakota high school you attended? Where do those numbers come from?
Michelle! You go girl! A shallow and one-sided article that does not say anything about your contributions to our community, especially with our youngsters. The naysayer no-nothings will always be there, but we (Wie) fans know better. Keep swinging!
Agree … and there is always ping pong!
local folk having great illusion of local star making it big…. I told people She is not that of a big deal when she first came out on tour….
another mid major player… Fathers influence is what brought her career short… Hope she stashed all that $$$$ for a rainy day….
fair statement.
ha ha. what a dumb article. don’t feel sorry for Michelle. she has been a pro for ten years. she has probably made a hundred million in endorsements. all those nay sayers and golf purists who said she would never win because she didn’t do it the ‘right way’ had to eat crow. Michelle was contending, not just competing, in majors when she was 15 and 16 years old. i like Steph Kono. she was supposed to be the next big Hawaii golfer. she went through the junior circuit and won all the tournaments. this is the first cut she has made on the LPGA tour. think about it. Michelle was making cuts when she was 13-14 years old. yeah, maybe she was over hyped. but i have always said that Michelle was, is and will always be the most successful golfer to ever come out of this state. Michelle was special. she had the IT factor. i wish one of my kids failed as successfully as she did.
what else is new?
So amusing to read all the armchair critical hacksters’ comments. I wish I could make as much as she has made golfing. She is young,and will adjust accordingly to more $$$ golf earnings.
Agree with Bdpapa, slacker47, tsboy, artwork, tjn. Michelle has nothing to prove. She’s done that already, many times over for over a decade. Arnett’s caricature of Michelle as a washed-up has-been is laughable, considering her accomplishments and the fact that she’s only 26 years old and spent most of her late-teens and early-twenties earning a degree at one of the toughest colleges in the country. Her injuries are part of her growing pains, rushing into competitions when she wasn’t fully prepared physically or properly healed. She’s still growing into her body and experimenting, using tournaments to test her theories. Anyone who’s followed her career knows that the pieces will all gradually come together and that it’s a matter of WHEN and not IF. If Michelle is one thing, it’s tough. She has never given up on herself. She knows what she can do, and won’t quit until she does it. The naysayers have always been there and will always be there. For Michelle, the only critic that really matters is herself, and that critic is confident that her potential is alive and well. We locals are fortunate to have a front row seat in the development of an amazing golfer whose best years are still ahead of her. Go Michelle! Don’t look back. Keep looking straight ahead. We believe in you, too.
For anyone that aspires to be at the top of the ladder in their field, it is a combination of mental toughness (some of that is the head game), physical ability,training, and natural talent. The great ones put all that together and they are consistent in delivery. Many here seem to believe that success is gauged by how much she has made. If she aspires to greatness as a golfer, it won’t be about the money. It will be the enduring recognition as to whether or not she consistently ranked in the top of her game. Top performers worry about legacy, not the money. The article says she is not a top ranked performer, and not a consistent performer. Anyone that believes that is not the case needs to say why. And the real criticism in the article was launched at those who mentored and coached her. Again, hard to find fault with that allegation.
She could retire now at age 26, and never look back; how many of us have done that?
This is the most moronic article I’ve ever read. How is she “easily forgotten” if you’re writing an article about her?
1) How many local golfers at ANY tourney in their backyard go on to do well and perhaps win? David Ishii did it. Michelle did it. She also would’ve won the Turtle Bay tourney a few years back of not for a final day collapse. But it’s idiotic to say she or other local golfers “didn’t show up”.
2) she’s won 4 times including a MAJOR. I’d consider that pretty successful considering how many golfers have competed on both the men’s and women’s tour without winning a single tourney, let alone a major.
3) Armett writes “and as time ticks by, the chances of cashing in on all that opportunity grow dim.” But yet in a few paragraphs later says “not to mention all the millions she’s made in endorsements…” So making hundreds of millions is “dimming?”
Great success on the course or not, if it was her parents’ goal to make sure their child was set for life with millions stashed away in the bank and a name recognized around the world, it’s pretty obvious they succeeded.
I really don’t think she has any long-standing regret with her career so far.
I wonder when NIKE will drop her?
She has no motivation as she became a millionaire when she turned pro. She will never live up to her hype as there are so many up and coming players, especially from Korea, who will be a force to reckon with.
Good to see varied comments. I thought the article was a fair one. As far as success goes, it depends how you define it. Money; yup, she did very well especially with the endorsements when she was a teenager. As a person; well, she didn’t seem too sweet or humble, e.g. “I might go play the LPGA full-time and then, after I get better, go to the PGA full-time”. The national media attention moved on to other talented golfers a couple of years ago. Lydia Ko is amazing; 12 career wins and she’s only 18. Congrats to Stephanie Kono.
OUCH! So she couldn’t live up to the hype, it’s a very familiar story. One everyone has heard before.
Are you serious? I would take her life path over mine in a heartbeat. Who cares what the professionals or writers think. You can hate her all you want. She still accomplished what most people can only dream of doing.