Michelle Wie Finally Seems Comfortable

Michelle Wie is 19, a sophomore at Stanford and, for the first time in her golf career, a card-carrying member of the LPGA. She also seems more mature, which probably has something to do with the culmination of her experiences, perhaps none bigger than the decision to go through Q-School.

Wie is still searching for her first professional victory, but unlike previous years, she appears much more comfortable in her skin.

"I know who I am better," Wie said. "I'm to the point where I don't care what other people think of me, if they think I'm weird or something. I've accepted the fact I'm weird. ... You've just got to live life, put in your hard work, relax and see what happens."

We're all weird, just in different ways. For Wie, she's six-feet tall and can launch a golf ball more than 300 yards. And unlike most of us, she's been in the public eye through her teenage years, which, I suspect, hasn't been easy.

Part of the blame falls on her parents, who are perceived to be overbearing micromanagers of their daughter's career. It's hard to say how much validity their is to such talk, although David Leadbetter, Wie's swing coach, has questioned their motives on more than one occasion.

Now, though, Wie comes off as relaxed and unhurried, both with school and her golf game. She has a routine, one that seems to work for her, and she hopes to parlay that into a successful season. This time -- for the first time -- you actually believe her. "I see the LPGA card as a play-whenever-you-want card," she said. "I'm excited to play a lot - it gives me a better chance to play well. ... I hope it's going to be a good year. I have a good feeling about it."

And more importantly, it sounds like she believes it.