One day removed from winning the US Women's Open title, Michelle Wie took a whirlwind tour of New York City, making the rounds on several popular morning talk shows.
Unlike most winners in women’s golf, when the towering Hawaiian appeared before all those media audiences, introductions were hardly necessary.
After too many detours and derailments to note, Wie had finally delivered on her considerable promise, albeit a decade later than everyone envisioned.
Eleven years ago, Wie won the US Public Links Championship at the record-obliterating age of 13. By then, she had already made the cut at multiple LPGA events, including a major, and it was obvious that the 186-centimetre teen was cut from a different cloth.
A couple of years later, she nearly qualified for the men’s US Open. It was an easy consensus: Wie was the greatest prodigy in several generations, Tiger Woods included. She turned pro at 16, signing endorsement deals worth US$10 million (Dh36.7m) annually, figures that few male athletes could command.
At that point, she did not crater, as much as she reached a plateau. Playing lacklustre golf as a part-time pro while in college, she graduated in 2012, and this season has reaffirmed her athletic and telegenic potential. Her two wins in three months matched her career total.
Only 24, she last week posed for photos with the crew from the Today show. Fittingly, there was again hope for tomorrow.
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