Michelle Wie has her say prior to the U.S. Open

Three things gleaned from Michelle Wie’s chat with the press yesterday as the U.S. Women’s Open draws ever closer:

One: She is a born marketer. Among the first words she spoke were the names of her sponsors and the “new goodies” they give her.

Two: She’s as 16 as 16 can be and has the ambition to prove it. You will never hear anyone older than 17 say the words “And I just want to use my good golf to make a better world.” But she seems to mean it and has already been “using my sponsors to help me donate money” to children’s hospitals among other charitable causes.

At a mere 16 years old, Wie is dreaming big and getting away with it. And that’s just from what she tells us. You just know she has secret world-domination fantasies. Trust me, if she goes to college, it’s because she wants to be President. And you know what? Her ambition is fun.

Three: She understands the media and how to create mini-controversies. When asked what would be bigger, a win on the LPGA Tour or making a PGA cut, she answered honestly:

“Well, I think that they’d be both great. I can’t really answer it. It’s so different. I would love to win an LPGA major or a tournament. And I would love to make the cut in a men’s tournament. I’m not sure which would be a bigger impact on me, because it hasn’t happened to me before, so I’ll win both and I’ll tell you which is better,” said Wie.

Some snarky analysts could translate that as a bit of a swipe at the LPGA. Being a snarky analyst, I know that’s how I translate it. And I also know it’s fun having a pre-polished 16-year-old girl speaking her mind in oft-stuffy world of golf.

–WKW