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 It was Michelle Wie, who is nearly 20 years younger than Sorenstam, who got that last word in her first tournament as a professional — a tournament she’ll remember for more than the $53,126 that got away. “I’m pretty sad but, you know, I think I’m going to get over it,” Wie said after her disqualification from last month’s Samsung World Championship for signing an incorrect scorecard, a mistake stemming from an improper drop on the seventh hole of Bighorn Golf Club’s Canyons Course during Saturday’s third round. “I learned a lot from it. It’s obviously not the way I wanted to begin, but it’s all right.” All right? It was better than all right. In the end, everyone from Samsung executives to tournament organizers to the media hordes and fans flocking to Palm Desert got more than they bargained for. For instance, more Annika, who won her fifth Samsung World Championship, tying her with San Diego native Mickey Wright for most victories in a single event. In blowing away the field by an event-record eight shots, Sorenstam won her eighth title of 2005, wrapped up her eighth Rolex Player of the Year Award, soared past $2 million for the fifth consecutive year and clinched her eighth ADT Money List title. And more of 16-year-old Wie, who was such an overwhelming presence that the glamorous, pin-up pairing of Natalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer (who finished a distant second) was virtually ignored. Think about this: Gulbis may be able to get legions of young males to pay attention to her, but even Gulbis’ considerable charisma hits a wall when it comes to attracting the likes of “60 Minutes,” CNBC (which went live all day Thursday), ESPN’s SportsCenter (which sent a reporter, producer and crew for the weekend) and reporters from such publications as the Times of London, the New York Times, the Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated. Speaking of SI, that publication sparked its own debate about media ethics, courtesy of senior writer Michael Bamberger. He was the one who reported Wie’s illegal drop to LPGA Rules Official Robert O. Smith, starting the engine that blasted Wie out of her first professional tournament. Still, Wie would have been hard-pressed to keep up with Sorenstam, who was obviously geared up for the tournament. “I want to play well when everyone is talking about someone else,’’ Sorenstam said. “I’m very competitive. There is no doubt I wanted to play well this week.” |
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