Michelle Wie Pre-Championship Quotes:
I like the golf course because I heard it was a real traditional design, which I thought would be two lines of trees with a really narrow fairway and very small greens, but it’s really wide and I can use my driver on every hole.
Is the first USGA tournament where you’ve been able to hit your driver on every hole? I think so.
My dad is going to caddie for me. (I’m glad) because I think I have more control of my game and because he knows my game.
TV or story you liked best? I don’t know. Every show is pretty good and I like something that’s different than average and shows me as I really am.
Was there a show or a story that you didn’t like? The U.S. Women’s Open because the stories were on the negative side.
Have you gotten over that, pretty much? Yeah, I did.
Has your dad gotten over that? Yeah.
Which women golfers from the past do you like? I met Carol Semple Thompson yesterday and I like her. And, what’s the lady who played in the Nabisco? JoAnne Carner, I think it’s amazing the way she hits the ball.
What about Barbara Romack? Yeah, Barbara too.
Nancy Lopez, have you met her and spoken to her? Yes, I’m going to play against her in a skins game in Boise (Idaho). Me and John Daly against Nancy Lopez and Hank Kuehne.
Have you heard about the comparisons, that you can be like the next Nancy Lopez? Is that flattering? How do you feel about that? I think it’s awesome. I would like to be like her because she’s really nice.
Did you think about that, when you play this week, you’re 13 and Carol Semple Thompson is 54? I think golf is the only sport where you can do that. In sports like hockey or tennis you can’t do that. Only golf.
How do you stay in touch with your friends? I have a lot of friends and we e-mail, but I don’t do too much because I’m usually tired from practicing. We’ll just have to wait until after the summer.
You’ve had an opportunity to play with the LPGA. Have you learned anything that has helped you with your game? They know how to handle situations because they play for money, so they know how to handle pressure. So I’ve learned how they handle themselves when they’re in a pressure situation.
What do you do in a pressure situation? What’s your philosophy? I just think about making the shot. The more you think about making it the more confidence you have. The more you think about missing it, the more pressure you feel.
Does it bother you at all that, no matter where you go, does it intrude on your privacy, all of the interest in Michelle Wie? Right now, it’s just on the golf course so it’s okay.
Do people recognize you at places like the mall? No, because I’m not wearing golf clothes, like my hat and golf shoes.
What about in restaurants in a tournament town? I think they recognize my parents, because my dad’s face is always in the paper.
Any goals this week? No, it would put too much pressure but I always want to win. I’ll try to do the best I can and don’t regret anything.
We were talking to your instructor and he believes you need to take a sort of conservative approach but he thinks your dad takes more of an aggressive approach when you’re playing. Where do you stand? I don’t really think about aggressive or conservative, I just go out there and play and think where do I want to hit the ball and where do I want it to go for the second shot.
Did you feel more pressure at the Girls’ Junior where all of the girls wanted to beat you?
I think I didn’t feel more pressure because they’re good players, but I think it’s going to be hard to win now.
Winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links give you confidence? Yes, I think it does.
She likes to sleep 11 or 12 hours a day. She recently spent a couple of weeks near Pittsburgh at a golf resort where she would practice in the morning and they’d do something fun in the afternoon, going horseback riding, fly fishing, and on an off-road Hummer rides.
Do you have any other talents besides golf? Yes! I can balance a spoon on my nose! (She finds a spoon and balances it on her nose. Everybody laughs) And I can balance a bottle of water on my head, remember at the WAPL? (She balances a bottle of water on top of her bucket hat, stand up, walks across the room and the bottle never moves.)