Michelle Wie |
By Oh Young-jin
Staff Reporter
George Mallory, the English mountaineer who made two attempts at Mt. Everest before disappearing on his third in 1924, famously said, "Because it is there," when asked about his ambition to climb the tallest mountain in the world.
Nearly 90 years later, when asked about why she plays golf, Michelle Wie replied, "Because it is fun."
But the 20-year-old golf phenomenon's definition of fun is an interesting one.
The 185-centimeter-tall diva on the U.S. LPGA tour said that it was the grueling hours of training, ceaseless self-motivation and a tendency to enjoy working under pressure that makes it fun.
"I have my share of pains," said the Hawaiian native, born to Korean parents, during an interview with reporters of three newspapers at the Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant in the Lotte Hotel, downtown Seoul, Tuesday morning. Wie, who spoke Korean during the interview, was making a promotional appearance at the French restaurant.
"I train to the point of bleeding. I cry when I'm frustrated," she said. "But I do that because it is worth all of it and I am having fun doing it."
Already a five-year veteran of professional golf, Wie said that she will give up the game when she feels it is no longer fun. Although she turned pro in 2005, she couldn't join the LPGA tour because it requires its members to be at least 18 years old.
"I am interested in a lot of things beyond golf," she said. As a matter of fact, she even participated in a French cooking class during the visit.
"I've talked with my father about opening a restaurant," she commented.
Wie currently studies at Stanford University, and is thinking of majoring in communications. Her 2009 tour obligations caused her to miss a total of only a month of school time ― two weeks at a time.
Last month, Wie won her first LPGA tour event ― the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico ― in her 81st pro event and 66th LPGA tour event. She shot 13 under par for a 275, beating out Paula Creamer, Shin Ji-yai and Christie Kerr.
Asked what she thinks of Shin, a golfer who turned pro in order to make a living rather than to have fun, Wie was diplomatic. "People make their choices. To me, golf should be fun. If others think of it differently, it is their call. I respect it."
Wie and Shin are poles apart in their family background.
The former was born to a well-to-do family and picked up golf thanks to her parents' love of the game, while the latter got her start because of her father, a minister who saw it as the only way out of hardship.
Asked whether she would win more if she devoted all of her energy to the game, as Shin does, Wie said that she does not intend to change her routine.
"I know I can be better," she said, referring to her victory in Mexico. "I interact with my fans. When I putt better, they compliment me for that. Thanks such compliments, I become more confident and do better in competition."
She also attributed improvements in her game, especially putting, to her constant effort to stay calm and focused. "I can become extremely impatient, so I keep telling myself to stay calm. The only thing I think about when I putt is that the shot will go in."
Will her improved game tempt her to try to qualify for the men's tour? Her father, Wie Byung-woo, who was with her throughout the interview, said that his daughter does not have plans to participate in any PGA tournaments next year.
Regarding the Tiger Woods scandal, she declined to comment, saying that she wants to stay out of other people's business. She added, "I want to stick to my game."
foolsdie@koreatimes.co.kr
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무디스, 스페인·伊·포르투갈 신용등급 강등
