Girl Golfer, 13, Outdrives the Men

S Y L V A N I A, Ohio, Aug. 24 -- What would you say to a 6-foot-tall, 13-year-old who hits a golf ball over 300 yards? What would you say if this golfer was a girl?

Well, she is and she does and her name is Michelle Wie.

For those of you unfamiliar with golf, hitting a 300-yard drive at any age is akin to throwing a 90-mph fast ball, running a four-minute mile or hitting a 130-mph serve. Add in the facts that she is female and just starting high school in the fall, and it's even more remarkable. And the startling stats don't end there.

"I started playing golf when I was 4 and I followed my parents on the course," said Hawaii native Michelle. Her parents, B.J. and Bo, both amateur champions in their native Korea, have given up playing the game but not studying the game.

"They are golfaholics," Michelle added with a giggle. "They are always watching Tiger [Woods] and analyzing how he's playing and they told me how to swing like him. I guess I was young and naïve and so I listened to them."

By the age of 10, she shot a round of 64, which is 6 shots under par — an accomplishment few adult golfers ever achieve.

Michelle has competed in almost every golf tournament in Hawaii. She and her parents decided that if she was to get better, she was going to have to play tougher courses and compete against more experienced golfers. So they packed up and came east for the summer, getting invitations to a number of women's pro events including the U.S. Open, where Michelle finished ninth — the highest finish for a 13-year-old ever.

She went on to win the U.S. Amateur Links Championship in July, becoming the youngest champion in any golf tournament in which adults play.

Bring on the Masters

Golf isn't just about hitting a long ball, but Michelle outdrives the longest hitter and arguably the best known golfer on the women's tour, Annika Sorenstam.

When asked if she watched Sorenstam's historic play at The Colonial, the men's professional tournament, she conceded, "I really couldn't because I had a math final coming up."