Sharp: Michelle Wie’s legacy built on inspiration, not domination

Other LPGA Tour professionals have their names on their golf bags. Michelle Wie has her logo on her bag.

She’s still big-time. She still attracts plenty of interest because she has a big name. But it’s possible that a big part of the attraction is what happened to a career that began 10 years ago with the potential (i.e., hype) that Wie could become the LPGA’s Tiger Woods.

Instead, Michelle Wie has become Michelle Why.

As in, “Why didn’t she dominate?”

She’ll participate in the inaugural LPGA Volvik Championship today in Ann Arbor. Nobody’s expecting much because she’s struggling through injuries and inconsistencies.

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She has made millions through numerous endorsements. Even though she has won only a single major championship (the 2014 Women’s U.S. Open), Wie remains one of the higher-profile personalities in the LPGA Tour’s largest growing market — Asia.

There will be plenty of great talent on display at Travis Pointe Country Club this weekend as the LPGA Tour returns to southeastern Michigan. “These guys are good” is the PGA Tour’s slogan. These girls are good as well. The overall quality of talent has improved exponentially since Wie first captivated the country when she finished third in the 2006 Women’s U.S. Open when she was only 16 — two years too young to qualify for the LPGA Tour.

And that has become Wie’s true legacy.

She’s now the mentor rather than the monster that voraciously devoured competition and selfishly binged on tournament victories. Wie has four career professional victories.

“Michelle’s special,” Lydia Ko, the LPGA Tour’s top money winner, said Wednesday. “I think what she’s done that’s brought so many juniors into golf. It just brought a whole new aspect to it. What she did studying full time and also playing on the tour at the same time. Obviously, the spotlight was on her from an early age. But I think she’s been amazing and she’s definitely helped grow this tournament. Without those key players, the LPGA wouldn’t be in this state.”

Did I mention that Ko is only 19?

Ko said Wie was one of her idols growing up in New Zealand. Like Wie, Ko has a Korean heritage. She saw what Wie did 10 years ago, playing in men’s tournaments because she was too young for the LPGA Tour. Wie helped open doors previously closed. The wins aren’t there. But she certainly provided the wind at the back of young hopefuls.

Perhaps she’s Tiger Woods without the hardware.

That’s still not a terrible legacy.

She’s still young, but there hasn’t been a winner on the LPGA Tour this season older than 23. Wie is still working hard. She spent close to two hours practicing on the putting green Wednesday, her father taking video of her putting stroke from behind, her caddie taking video of her temperamental stroke from the front.

But perhaps Wie has problems accepting the role of mentor at age 26. She declined to comment following her practice round Wednesday when asked about Ko — the next great young player — thinking of Wie as a role model. Even though her agent arranged for her to take a few questions from the media, she brusquely declined interviews when approached following her practice.

“I’m not doing interviews this week,” she said.

Really?

A new tournament and one of the bigger names isn’t interested in promoting the sport?

The LPGA struggles because — at least on this part of the globe — the strongest sports match personality with performance. Perhaps Ko can become that catalyst. It’s easier to forget she’s only 19.

“I was very fortunate that there were girls like (Lexi Thompson), Michelle, (Morgan Pressel) and (Paula Creamer) who were in the spotlight at a very young age,” Ko said. “How they handled the attention was something that I definitely learned from them. And they’re still superstars right now.”

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Contact Drew Sharp: dsharp@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @drewsharp. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/drew-sharp/.