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HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSFebruary 27, 2013Michelle Wie WestSINGAPORE KELLY THESIER: We'd like to welcome Michelle Wie into the interview room. Thank you so much for joining us today. First of all, always great I'm sure to be back here in Singapore. Just what are your thoughts being back here this week and what do you love about coming to this event each year. MICHELLE WIE: Coming to this event is definitely one of my favourite stops of the year. I absolutely love Singapore, and especially this year playing at Sentosa where the men play and staying at Marina Bay, it's just amazing. I love the city. I love the golf course. I've been having a blast. KELLY THESIER: What are your initial thoughts? What are going to be some of the keys this week for players to be successful on this golf course? MICHELLE WIE: It's a tight golf course, and big greens. You really have to keep it in the fairway and hit in the right part of the greens. It's a difficult golf course. I think it's going to be a very big challenge this week. Over the last two days, I think I've hit one drive and probably won't do it again. It's position golf and you have to be in the right places and making some putts. KELLY THESIER: I heard you might be doing something fun, the players have gotten out a little bit in Singapore this week. Are you going to do somethingfun this afternoon, get to see the sights a little bit today? MICHELLE WIE: Well, it's ‑‑ inaudible ‑‑ birthday today, turning 20. She wants to go ziplining, but I'm deathly scared of heights, so I probably won't do that, but I probably might go check out some marine life. Q. You mentioned you only used driver once; which hole? MICHELLE WIE: There's a couple holes I might have option, but maybe on 18, depending on what day it is, what situation I'm in. But you never know, the wind conditions could completely change, but probably won't use driver a lot this week. Q. Inaudible. MICHELLE WIE: You know, it's a good golf course‑‑ it's not good or bad. Obviously I would like to hit more drivers but that's just the way the course is. It's a very good golf course and very challenging golf course. I think it makes it more challenging for players‑‑ it's a lot more course management. I think it makes it very interesting. Every other golf course you hit driver, and it's fun once in awhile to really think about it and hit these kind of knock‑down shots irons off the tee or a couple two woods here and there. You don't really get to do that at a lot of other courses, so it makes it very interesting. Q. There's a lot of talk at the moment about Lydia Ko. How do you compare where she is and where you were at her age? MICHELLE WIE: I don't think it's fair to compare at all. I think she's an amaaaazing golfer. I got to play with her a couple weeks ago in Australia and I got to talk to her a little bit and get to know her. She's a very nice young lady, very, very nice, very amazing player. I think she had like three pars in the round, lots of birdies. It was pretty impressive. Q. Did you talk to her at all about her decision turning pro and when to do it? MICHELLE WIE: No, we didn't really talk about turning pro a lot. She was very keen on being pro and going to Stanford just like I did, so it was very interesting. But you know, I'm scared to give her any advice. It seems like she's doing really well right now. As I've said before in other interviews, it's a very personal choice, turning pro or not turning pro. It's not a matter of me telling her what to do or giving my input. It just really has to be her gut feeling of what she wants to do in life, because in the end it's her life. But I think she's made the right decision, whatever decision she's going to make, and I'm very excited for her. Q.  How would you describe your early season form? MICHELLE WIE: Not exactly where I want it to be. It's been a little rusty so far. But at the same time, just working in a couple things. I worked on a lot of things in the off‑season so getting back into the playing mode takes time but hopefully this week will be the week where I really get things together. Q. I was wonder, the Top‑10 players in the world are here in Asia‑‑ is this what we are seeing in the future in women's golf, is this a trend, or do you think America will get top position again? MICHELLE WIE: I'm sure we'll fight back (laughing). I think that the sport is becoming very global and that's becoming very evident and I think it's awesome. We come to more tournaments in Asia. We are a very global tour and that's a fact now. A lot of great players are coming from the U.S. and a lot of great players from Europe and a lot of great players from Asia. Everything comes and goes in waves; and the trend, it's becoming more global and I hope it stays that way. It's becoming very interesting on Tour and you get to meet a lot of different people from a lot of different places; I like it. Q. As a fellow golfer, how do you feel about the triple‑bogey on 18 in Thailand‑‑ I don't know, I wasn't there, I didn't see it, but how do you feel about it? MICHELLE WIE: I didn't see it either. But I think instead of focusing on the negative‑‑ I think she made a hole‑in‑one that day, that's pretty amazing. She had one mistake and unfortunately cost her the tournament, but she still finished second, and how old is she; hats off to her. She played awesome, and in her hometown in Thailand. It was really cool to see everyone kind of cheering her on and making that hole‑in‑one and everything. But I'm sure that she'll be fine. It's just golf. Q. About your putting, I think in Hawai'i, you decided tobend in a little bit more. How about right now compared with the older‑‑ are you getting better? MICHELLE WIE: I mean, I was looking at like Shin and Ai and they all putt really well, and the common factorthere is they are all five feet tall. So I'm like, maybe I'll justtry and act like I'm five feet tall, get a little lower to the ground (giggling). It's been working fine for them and something I've been working on and it's been feeling comfortable and we'll see. Q. Is it making you read the greens more clearly or something? MICHELLE WIE: You know, definitely am seeing the line a little better being a little close to the ground, so maybe I was going a little bit too tall. Q. Does practicing hurt your back? Do you notice when you're in position‑‑ MICHELLE WIE: Actually I talked to David about a lot because he was worried about my back, as well. Actually it makes me kind of rest a little bit in between putts now and kind of take a little bit of a break here and there and definitely make sure I won't stand over the ball for a long time. Q. Might never get up. MICHELLE WIE: Exactly. Q. The other thing I was going to ask you: It's now seven months since you graduated from Stanford; are you missing it? MICHELLE WIE: I do miss it. I miss my friends and everything. But I'm so happy that I did it, and it's kind of‑‑ it's a new phase in my life. And I think I struggled for a little bit because it takes time to adjust to a new phase in your life. I'm excited now for the next stage and what's to come. Q. And are you doing anything, was it calligraphy or something, there's all sorts of interesting things you might do; have you done any of them or are you doing any of them? MICHELLE WIE: It's really funny, I thought I would have a lot more time, a lot more free time on my hands once I was done with college, but that's not true (laughing). I feel like I'm still running out of hours with practise and working out and everything. But I am thinking a lot, I've been baking a lot. It's been a lot of fun. I want to do a couple of hobbies here and there, but like I said, there isn't that much free time. I thought I was going to have a lot more once I was done with school, but there's not enough hours in the day. KELLY THESIER:  Speaking of your baking, what have been your favourite things to try to bake? MICHELLE WIE: Well, I have a lot of allergies, which basically makes it impossible to eat anything. So I bake a lot of cookies and brownies and I make them all vegan, gluten‑free, soy‑free, fat‑free. Q. This could be a make or break year for you; is there much pressure on you, or are the emergence of people like Lydia putting you more in the spotlight? MICHELLE WIE: Well, Lydia is making me really old, but I'm only23. It's only the start of my career. I'm really having fun. I'm not really focusing on that. Once I focus on that, it's not going to be very fun. So just focusing on each shot and really enjoy myself. And you know, I still am only 23. Golf is a very long career, so I'm just having fun and planning for the longevity of it. KELLY THESIER: Thank you so much for joining us today. Best of luck this week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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