|
 A teen prodigy, Wie was thrust into the limelight a decade ago
when she competed against the men on several PGA Tour events but
missed the cut in all of them and struggled to make an impact on the
ladies tour after turning professional in 2005.
The 25-year-old finally fulfilled her potential with a first LPGA
Tour title in 2009 and steady improvement over the years culminated
in a two-shot U.S. Open triumph at Pinehurst last June.
Wie is targeting more major success this season but her main goal
will be to tee off at the Rio Games in 2016, competing at an event
she helped ensure became a reality as part of the team lobbying for
golf's inclusion as an Olympic sport six years ago.
"Oh, yeah, I was actually in Copenhagen with the golf committee...
people associated with the golf associations and we worked hard to
get golf into the Olympics and we were very successful," Wie told
reporters in Singapore on Tuesday ahead of this week's HSBC Women's
Champions event.
 "So since then, I've been working really hard and it's definitely a
big goal of mine to make the U.S. Team."
The top 60 players in the world, with a maximum of four per country,
on July 11, 2016 will be eligible to compete in Rio and with Wie
currently sixth in the global rankings, the Hawaiian is on target to
qualify for Brazil.
However, fellow Americans Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Brittany
Lincicome, Cristie Kerr, Jessica Korda, Angela Stanford and Paula
Creamer are all ranked in the top 30 and will be gunning for one of
the few spots available.
Wie knows the competition will be tough but remains hopeful that she
can play at an event she, as a child, never thought would be
possible.
[to top of second column] |
"Growing up, I always watched the Olympics and thought it would be
so cool to represent my country but I was also very sad because I
would never have the opportunity," she added.
"Now that I have the opportunity it's definitely one of my biggest
goals, one of my biggest dreams is to compete in Rio. So I'm going
to be working hard and hopefully I'll get it."
Creamer, the defending champion in Singapore, is also driven to make
the U.S. Team and regards it as her "number one goal".
"That is everything that I have ever wanted, to represent my country
in the Olympics," she said. "I have a little bit over a year to kind
of get my butt back into shape and get into that -- make that team.
"There's only a couple of girls that get that opportunity to do it
and to play, and that is something that I would love to do. I would
be honored to do that and I think it's great for golf in general
that it's in the Olympics."
(Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
