How Michelle Made Her First Men’s Cut

Michelle Wie (17, photo) has finally made the cut at a male pro tournament for the first time in her eight trials to date. More interesting of her personal triumph is a trail of tidbit stories leading up to it.

A Tight Schedule and Sudden Health Condition-

She had not eaten much for two days before the first round of the tournament due to the flu and an upset stomach. Her condition was serious enough that Dr. Jang Jun from Yonsei Severance Hospital made a house call. Jang is the doctor who attended to former President Kim Dae-jung when he was taken ill from a pneumonic symptom. Wie was introduced to the doctor by a relative who teaches at Yonsei Medical School. A visit from the trusted doctor helped Michelle get back into a playable condition. To make the tight schedule of her 8-day visit, Michelle was always on the move, sometimes traveling in a helicopter.

A Fashion Conscious Traveler-

Michelle was seen carrying a heavy-looking case during her trip. It turned out to be a jewelry case filled with earrings, necklace, and other fashion accessories. As a fashion conscious teenager, she would arrange her fashion props to match her outfit of the day. Nike, Michelle’s sponsor, packed about 30 different sets of clothing for Michelle to wear during her golf trip.

Prize Money Goes Directly to her Trust Fund-

She won 4.5 million won for her 35th place tie. Since it was the first prize money she earned in a male golf event, Michelle would have liked to pocket some of it and buy something nice for her parents. But all her earnings were banked right into her trust fund account, and she will not be able to see a penny of it until she reaches a certain age, same with the $181,449 prize money she received from this year’s LPGA tour.

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com