She looked miserable. She was miserable.
What saved her was showing up at The Farm to start her freshman year.
"A lot of my life, I was doing ... even now, going to college, I'm not doing what everyone thinks I should be doing. Everyone has an opinion about me," Wie said. "I knew I wanted to go to school. After I had my injury, it changed the way I was thinking. I was struggling out there. It was a struggle every day to practice. And it made me realize that I've got to enjoy what I'm doing.
"Winning tournaments and being unhappy is not going to cut it."
That she has made it through Stanford in less than five years is astounding. Wie figured it might take at least six. She takes school work on the road, mixes a full load of classes with practice when she's home.
And while she is regarded as a part-time player, Wie plays as many tournaments as Woods.
"Ten years ago, all the stories were she was pushing too hard, playing with the guys, she's going to burn out, and you know how this ends. Another example of a person who didn't follow the right path and go to school," LPGA Tour commissioner Mike Whan said. "Jump forward, and she's top 20 in the world (No. 17), taking 18 credit hours, she's getting a degree from Stanford.
"I believe the best for her is coming," he said. "She really got it when everyone else predicted she wouldn't. She got the last laugh. The coolest thing about Michelle Wie is she likes her life. And we all predicted she'd hate her life."
Wie has always been about looking forward, though there is one regret. She was playing an LPGA event in 2007 and missed her high school graduation. She won't make that mistake twice.
"I've already checked the schedule," she said, beaming. "There's no tournament that week. I'm going."
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