Michelle Wie earns a card, and respect

I have to admit, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Michelle Wie camp. I’ve seen firsthand the high expectations a father can have for his child’s playing potential. As the daughter of a retired life member of the PGA, I’m occasionally reminded of my father’s hope, way back in the 1970s, that I would be the next Laura Baugh. But my father’s dream never turned into a nightmare. I’ve always disagreed with the way B.J. Wie chose to orchestrate his daughter’s public persona, and as that arrangement started to melt down, I began to feel sorry for Michelle. Now, I have made a 180-degree turn. I owe her respect, although the verdict is still out on the people around her.

Still a student at Stanford this fall, Michelle decided to go for her LPGA Tour card and succeeded. She made good decisions and produced great results. So far, the only controversy she has created is by keeping quiet, choosing to stay focused on her game. She has finally accepted that there are no short cuts to success.

Of course, she needed her LPGA card more than ever this year, as her sponsor's-exemption act was wearing thin at age 19. But whatever her reasons, at least she is out there earning her way like everyone else. She will wake up next week with her Tour card, and perhaps look back on the last several years as just a bad dream.

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Carol Preisinger has been LPGA teaching professional for more than 20 years. She teaches at the Kiawah Island Club in South Carolina