Hawaiian born β Korean descent, American player, Michelle Wie will be returning to Honolulu and playing at the SBS Open for the first time since becoming an LPGA Tour member.
Wie is confident that the SBS Open, which will be held at Turtle Bay, will mark a new beginning for her as she leaves behind a difficult 2008.
βIt feels like a clean slate, a new beginning, and I finally feel like I really earned it,β She said in a statement.
Oahu and Turtle Bay have been very good to Wie and her career. It was in 2005 that she finished second at Oahuβs North Shore course, she was an amateur back then and only 15. The following year she played a tournament in Turtle Bay where she won and gained the distinction of being the first female to win a local qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open.
After injuring her wrist a couple of years ago, Wie has struggled to meet expectations. She has also lost a great deal of confidence of the course and with herself. She has also been criticized because of her poor performance against male golf players.
Nonetheless, despite 2008 proving to be a difficult year for Wie, she still managed to earn her U.S. LPGA Card.
The SBS Open will run from February 9 to 12.