Women's golf looks to Michelle Wie for boost

Women's golf is desperately in need of a boost. Perhaps it will receive it in the next few days when the Ricoh Women's British Open, the fourth and last major championship of the year, is played at Royal Lytham & St Annes. If this event has a conclusion that is half as good as was the men's Open at Turnberry two weeks ago, then it will be all right.
What with the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour in the US losing seven events since 2007 and its commissioner being sacked two weeks ago, as well as Annika Sorenstam, the greatest female player for a generation, retiring last year, the women's game is in turmoil - and this with the Solheim Cup, the biennial match between the women professionals of Europe and the US, coming up in three weeks.
Step forward Michelle Wie, 19, who is playing her last major championship as a teenager. Wie has for some time been the gifted but trouble child of the LPGA tour and has not yet qualified for the US team. She is currently 16th. A win here would get her into the team as an automatic selection; anything less and she will have to rely on being picked by Beth Daniel, the US captain.
Wie spoke tongue in cheek yesterday about death threats and how the last time she was at this venue, when she was handled by the William Morris Agency, she was given ten bodyguards and now, having moved to the International Management Group, she appears to have none.
"There have been no death threats to my face" Wie said. "But I am sure there have been. You always have to sign these forms in tournaments like if you receive a death threat, do you want to be informed or not and I'm like no, I don't want to know. I'm still alive, I'm still breathing and it's all good."
Wie competed in this event at this venue in 2006 and finished tied 26th having been tied 3rd the previous year at Royal Birkdale. She says she has recovered from the injury to her left wrist that seemed to bedevil her for so long and now, as a full member of the LPGA tour while on holiday from school, she has had one third place finish and two runners-up finishes this year.
What would the powers that be give for Wie to win on Sunday?
Source:The times