Michelle Wie Wins the Open!

Michelle Wie has been around the world of professional golf for so long, it seems, that it is easy to forget that she is only 24 years old.  So, it was with interest that I noted that she led the US Women's Open at Pinehurst #2 after two rounds and was tied for the lead headed into today's final round.  Such news caused me to plant myself before the TV set this afternoon and root for Wie to capture her first major championship.

An eagle on the par five 19th hole gave her a four shot lead, but Stacy Lewis finished birdie-birdie to post the lead in the clubhouse, three shots behind Wie.  All Michelle had to do was par out and the Open would be hers.  However, on the 16th hole, an embedded ball in a hazard caused Wie to have to take a penalty stroke and resulted in a double bogey, which she saved by making a lengthy putt that was far from a gimme, and her lead over Lewis was down to only one stroke.  Perhaps a younger Michelle Wie would have lost her composure at that point, but it didn't happen.  In fact, Wie looked the same after that hole as she had all day.

She rebounded in fantastic fashion by sinking about a twenty foot putt for a birdie on 17....

...and all that remained at that point was a workmanlike par on #18 to secure the Championship.

She played the entire Open, all 72 holes of it, without having one three putt green.  Under US Open conditions, that fact is absolutely amazing!

In a golf season that has been lacking in drama, I really enjoyed this day watching the charismatic Miss Wie take home this most prestigious victory, and I hope that there will be many more for her in the years ahead.