Wie finally earns LPGA card

Saturday, December 13, 2008 -- Daytona Beach, Florida – Michelle Wie finally earned her first LPGA card, finishing in the Top 20 at the Q-school. Wie cinched her victory by shooting a 2- over 74 after a bad start on the competition.

Wie is ecstatic, saying, “It's a good feeling, I really earned it. I legitimately went through Q-school.” After seven years of playing the green with invitations and exemptions, Wie could finally carry her LPGA card like any other hard-hitting athlete. “I took my medicine. And I got it. It feels good. It's like high school graduation,” she said.

A child prodigy at 10 years old, Wie first competed in the 2000 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, the youngest golfer to ever qualify for an amateur event. Since then Wie has received exemptions for fifty-three (53) competitions, a privilege she is highly criticized with by peers and golf fans.

With her hard-earned LPGA membership card in hand, the 19-year-old Stanford freshman plans to play in full swing next year. She says she is not deterred in her initial goal to play competitively against the men, “I'm the kind of person where if I start out and want to pursue it, I'm going to do it. I've always wanted to do it since I started golf.”

But for now, Wie is grateful for the playing liberty that comes with her card. "I play whenever I want now, not when I have to play, or only six tournaments," she said. "I can pick and choose. I might play two in a row, three in a row, and have some momentum. I really like this game, and I want to play a lot. I'm going to take advantage of this card."

Still a powerful enigma, Wie has been drawing the biggest galleries whenever she plays; now that she has her much-needed card, the world awaits Wie on the green.