by Jeff Skinner
It’s been a long road for Michelle Wie. For any 24 year old to have had to travel a long road may be hard to comprehend. Twenty-somethings are still kids with kid problems. But Michelle Wie has been on that long road for ten years and many times showed the burden of that journey.
Today Michelle can revel in the end of her long journey. A journey that started when she was barely thirteen and came into the national golf consciousness. She played in pro events at fourteen, held the 54 hole lead at consecutive U.S. Women’s Open when she was 15 and 16. She played on the PGA Tour and spoke of playing in the Masters. She played well and then horribly and then better and then worse. Injuries and self-doubt limited her career at times and the media attacked her and her parents and handlers for the decisions they made. All the time she was carrying the burden of unfulfilled expectations.
It indeed has been a long road for a 24 year old. The road ended today with the biggest win of her career.
Wie managed herself around a tough Pinehurst No.2 with some ups and downs and carded an even par 70 to win the U.S. Women’s Open, the first major of her career. She fought off a hard charging, world number one Stacy Lewis who finished in second place. 
The U.S. Women’s Open supplied all the drama this week at Pinehurst. Wie started the day tied with Amy Yang at two under but Yang opened three over par after the first two holes. Wie bogeyed the first but righted her ship with eight straight pars, always a good thing at Opens. She found her first birdie at the tenth and looked to be on cruise control as she hit her three wood off the tee using her version of the stinger.
Five more pars seemed to do the trick but Stacy Lewis had started her charge and had a run in the middle of her round where she had five birdies in eight holes. Lewis stumbled with bogeys on fourteen and sixteen but put the pressure back on Wie with two closing birdies.
About that time Michelle was making her biggest mistake of the day. Her tee ball on sixteen found a bunker and instead of laying up she tried a hybrid out of the bunker. The ball flew into the sandy area short and right of the green and disappeared. After a few minutes of panic, with the USGA’s Tom O’Toole and Mike Davis helping in the search, they found the ball buried in the wiregrass.
She exhibited amazing calm as she took an unplayable lie, dropped at eighty yards and hit the green with her fourth shot. She needed to sink a five footer to salvage a double bogey and her lead over Lewis was down to one stroke.
This is where the 2014 version of Michelle Wie differs from the past. Many times on that long, difficult road when faced with adversity Wie would fold or make poor decisions and lose her focus. Not this time.
She bounced back with a great birdie putt on seventeen to get back to two under for the championship and two ahead of Lewis. Wie knew how critical that birdie was and gave a few emphatic fist pumps as she picked her ball from the hole.
Her two stroke lead and solid shot off the last tee gave her the luxury of a triumphant walk down the eighteenth fairway. Her reception at the green was worthy of a great champion finishing her long journey.
It’s been a long road for such a young woman. This Michelle Wie is a very different person that started that journey. She has grown and matured and is playing the best golf of her life.
One long, difficult journey has ended and another has begun. All signs point to the this one being a bit easier for the 2014 U.S. Open Champion.
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