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CNN Live Sunday
Yes, Wie Can
Aired June 29, 2003 - 16:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: From box office hits to a star attraction burning up the golf courses. Her name is Michelle Wie, and already this 13-year-old golfing phenom is grabbing both the headlines and major respect from competitors more than double her age. Wie delivers plenty of talent and comparisons to another golf great, Tiger Woods.
Here's CNN's Josie Karp.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Michelle Wie's universe, a 13 year old girl can drive the ball 300 yards.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Perfect.
KARP: She can pair with players more than twice her age in the final group at a major. And she can believe, based on her own experience, that someday women golfers won't just play as well as men, they'll play better.
MICHELLE WIE, 13-YEAR-OLD GOLFER: I don't know. I just think that they will because -- because it's just that women have a lot more hurdles to jump over than men, and I think they'll do better because they work harder and I guess -- I don't know. I think they will.
KARP: When she picks up a club and swings with all the strength in her six-foot body, Wie certainly looks like she might have a chance to realize that goal. The girl is already giving the women all they can handle.
It was a surprise when she made the cut at the Nabisco Championship in March, the women's first major of the year. It was a shock when she finished in the top 10.
GLENN SHEELY, GOLF WRITER: I don't think she's over hyped at all. I watched her on the range, and she hits it with a PGA Tour trajectory. I mean, she hits it crisply. It's no exaggeration at all that we're looking at 300-yard drives here. And she's 13. You know, her game management maybe isn't where it will be in a few years, but it's pretty amazing. It's a pure golf swing. This is a swing that a guy on the PGA tour would be very happy to have.
BARB MUCHA, GOLFER: As she matures and gets used to being out here and gets out here, she's going to be the next probably Tiger Woods, I would say. KARP: In addition to qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open, Wie has accepted six invitations from LPGA Tour events this year. She's also scheduled to play in two men's events on minor league tours later this summer.
She'll practice her game and try to remain oblivious to the pressure that comes with being a prodigy.
WIE: People do have high expectations for me, and they expect me to play in the final group every time I play. But I don't really think about that. If I don't reach the expectations, I shouldn't be, like, sad about it or mad about it because those aren't the expectations that I have for myself. It's just what people think of me.
KARP: Her own expectations aren't exactly modest. She'd like to play in the Masters and compete on both the women's tour and the men's tour after she finishes college.
Josie Karp, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 29, 2003 - 16:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: From box office hits to a star attraction burning up the golf courses. Her name is Michelle Wie, and already this 13-year-old golfing phenom is grabbing both the headlines and major respect from competitors more than double her age. Wie delivers plenty of talent and comparisons to another golf great, Tiger Woods.
Here's CNN's Josie Karp.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Michelle Wie's universe, a 13 year old girl can drive the ball 300 yards.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Perfect.
KARP: She can pair with players more than twice her age in the final group at a major. And she can believe, based on her own experience, that someday women golfers won't just play as well as men, they'll play better.
MICHELLE WIE, 13-YEAR-OLD GOLFER: I don't know. I just think that they will because -- because it's just that women have a lot more hurdles to jump over than men, and I think they'll do better because they work harder and I guess -- I don't know. I think they will.
KARP: When she picks up a club and swings with all the strength in her six-foot body, Wie certainly looks like she might have a chance to realize that goal. The girl is already giving the women all they can handle.
It was a surprise when she made the cut at the Nabisco Championship in March, the women's first major of the year. It was a shock when she finished in the top 10.
GLENN SHEELY, GOLF WRITER: I don't think she's over hyped at all. I watched her on the range, and she hits it with a PGA Tour trajectory. I mean, she hits it crisply. It's no exaggeration at all that we're looking at 300-yard drives here. And she's 13. You know, her game management maybe isn't where it will be in a few years, but it's pretty amazing. It's a pure golf swing. This is a swing that a guy on the PGA tour would be very happy to have.
BARB MUCHA, GOLFER: As she matures and gets used to being out here and gets out here, she's going to be the next probably Tiger Woods, I would say. KARP: In addition to qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open, Wie has accepted six invitations from LPGA Tour events this year. She's also scheduled to play in two men's events on minor league tours later this summer.
She'll practice her game and try to remain oblivious to the pressure that comes with being a prodigy.
WIE: People do have high expectations for me, and they expect me to play in the final group every time I play. But I don't really think about that. If I don't reach the expectations, I shouldn't be, like, sad about it or mad about it because those aren't the expectations that I have for myself. It's just what people think of me.
KARP: Her own expectations aren't exactly modest. She'd like to play in the Masters and compete on both the women's tour and the men's tour after she finishes college.
Josie Karp, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
