Michelle WieJohn Woods
http://local.globe.com/cpvideo/2010/08/s_LPGA-Cdn-Open20100830T0900_1200K.flv
Winnipeg, Man. - Michelle Wie is all grown up.
At least, according to Shin Jiyai, who saw a new, powerful and threatening Wie first-hand after Shin finished in Wie's dust at the $2.25-million CN Canadian Women's Open Sunday. It was the second win of Wie's LPGA career.
Shin, who was ranked No. 1 in the world for several weeks earlier this year, is only two years older than Wie, who is 20.
"She played well this week," said Shin, who added that mentally, Wie is stepping forward as well.
Shin made a bold move to draw even with Wie during the third round Saturday, but Wie thundered on during the fourth round while Shin made some putting mistakes.
Wie finished 12 strokes under par at 276, three strokes ahead of the foursome of Shin, late-charging American Kristy McPherson, defending champion Suzann Pettersen, and South Korean Lee Jee Young.
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Video: Jiyai Shin | Michelle Wie | Paula Creamer |
Video: Kristy McPherson | Lorie Kane | Suzann Pettersen |
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Among the second-place finishers, McPherson was brilliant Sunday, finishing with a six-under-par 66 at the St. Charles Country Club, the low score of the fourth round, despite having to contend with Still's disease, a form of rheumatoid arthritis.
Shin shot 73, while Pettersen and Lee shot 69.
Lorie Kane of Charlottetown had a brilliant round of 67 that featured six birdies. She finished in a tie for 11th at five-under overall and was recipient of the Sandra Post Cup, given to the low Canadian in the field.
Lisa Meldrum of Montreal finished with a 76 while Adrienne White of Red Deer, Alta. finished with a 73.
Wie managed her win with a fourth-round score of 70, sinking important putts at the eighth, 13th and 14th holes. "I think it was my ball striking that kept me above water today," she said.
She had her dicey moments, with three bogeys, but more good ones, with five birdies.
"Everything kind of worked for me and it was awesome," Wie said.
After she won, American golfer Christina Kim showered Wie with champagne and then embraced her. The two are close friends.
"I'm so proud of her," Kim said. "I'm not surprised at all."
"It feels awesome [to win]" Wie said. "It feels absolutely fantastic. It's been a long time since November and it feels great."
Wie admitted she hadn't been playing well for the past couple of months leading into the Canadian Open, but the win will motivate her for the rest of the season.
Wie led all four rounds. It felt like a good week, she said, although Saturday, she struggled a bit.
"But I was just going out there and really focusing and really believing in myself, and it meant a lot to me," she said.
In the final round, she had to face Shin, who is nicknamed "The Final Round Queen", but it was Shin who blinked.
"I really had to work hard today to keep her off," Wie said.
But she did, and apparently while in pain with a sore back. There wasn't one shot that didn't hurt, Wie said. She fought through it. The hole-in-one in the first round helped her along.
She'll have a week off to prepare for a $2-million LPGA event in Arkansas, then return to school at Stanford, where she has been an off-again, on-again student.
If Wie was hurting this week, McPherson was shrugging off a disease that has plagued her most of her life. She was diagnosed with Still's disease at 11, confined to her bed and unable to walk for a year. Told she wouldn't be able to participate in sports that required jumping or running, she took up golf.
She takes medication every day, and it's more difficult to bear when it rains, as it did Saturday. McPherson finished Sunday under skies that threatened rain late in the afternoon.
"I've played my whole career like that," she said. "I've learned you make a couple of swing changes. You can't get quite as much out of your ball as you expect. You just learn to deal with it."
There are some golf shots she can't make on a bad day, but she knows her game, and she doesn't try.
"Today was a good day," she said. "I started out early and once I found I was getting enough out of my clubs, I had confidence all day and the body held up well."
She says she's going to play as long as her body will allow her.
It seems, though, that Wie is just beginning.