Wie finally breaks through
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2009 Lorena Ochoa Invitational | Round Four | 17 Nov 2009
It might have taken her 66 LPGA Tour events but American Michelle Wie has finally achieved the inevitable by winning her first professional event at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara in Mexico.
Wie birdied the final hole after a superb approach from the sand and accepted the winner’s cheque with a great deal of satisfaction and perhaps relief.
“It feels, it sounds cliché, but it feels awesome,” Wie said. “Fantastic actually. For sure, it’s definitely a monkey off my back. I think that hopefully life will be a lot better, but I still have a lot of work to do.”
In order to record her first victory Wie had to defeat a high quality field including the tournament host Ochoa and players of the ilk of Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Ji Yai Shin and Cristie Kerr.
With the breakthrough behind her and the pressure off to some extent, Wie is likely to now reveal her true potential and win many more times. Her next assignment will be the Tour Championship starting in Houston this coming Thursday.
Karrie Webb finished the best of the three Australians in the field in 21st position, Katherine Hull was 28th and Lindsey Wright 35th.
