One of Wie’s Teachers Changes Schools

He has been the second-most important swing coach for Michelle Wie the last two years at the Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and even now that Gary Gilchrist is moving on to a new job, he hopes he can continue his teaching relationship with the 14-year-old prodigy.

“I’m sure it’ll probably carry on, although I’m not sure to what extent,” Gilchrist said Wednesday. “I’ve always been her greatest supporter of her goals to play in the Masters and on the PGA Tour and I still believe she’ll be the first woman to do it.

“We’ve invested a lot of time together. I’ve also got a good relationship with David [Leadbetter], so hopefully that will continue.”

Gilchrist is the new director of the International Junior Golf Academy at Hilton Head, S.C., a position that interested him because of the academy’s new junior golf partner in Nike, and a year-around program at Daufuski Island.

He said he needed a change in his career and was further influenced to take the new job when his wife, Lee-Anne, quit her job as circulation director of the Bradenton Herald.

Gilchrist, who had been with Leadbetter for 10 years, doesn’t see the Wie-Leadbetter relationship changing.

“Basically, she’s going to be taught by David. I’ve been sharing the responsibility, especially at the tournaments she plays, but the main responsibility has been David’s.”

Gilchrist said he would not solicit Wie to make a change in teachers.

“At this point, I don’t see it happening,” he said. “Maybe down the road when she turns pro she might want to work with me. At the end of the day, I think in her mind she is going to college. Who knows if she will feel the same two or three years from now?”

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Wie tied for 33rd in a field of 78 last week at the Evian Masters at Evian-les-Baines, France, earning high marks not only for her play, but also for how she handled herself.

As a philosopher: “Some days things don’t work as well and some days they don’t work at all.”

On advice: “[Bernhard Langer] told me there are only two outcomes possible -- the ball will go in the hole or it won’t, and in neither case is it a matter of life and death.”

On her drives: “Everybody goes ‘wow’ and I want to show what I can do.”

After a shopping trip in Paris, Wie headed back home to Honolulu. Her next LPGA tournament is the Wendy’s Championship for Children, Aug. 19-22, at Tartan Fields Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

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Remember Miles Byrne? He’s the caddie who gained fame when he admitted having too many drivers in Ian Woosnam’s bag at the 2001 British Open, costing Woosnam a two-shot penalty and a chance at winning.

Byrne’s brother, Colin, made some news of his own during the British Open by writing an Open diary for the Irish Times. His final installment included a critique of Phil Mickelson that probably wouldn’t make Phil too happy.

Wrote Byrne: “A rare opportunity to get to watch Phil Mickelson and his head-nodding and grinning action reminiscent of one of those nodding toy dogs you used to see inside the rear windscreen of cars back in the ‘70s.”

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Only seven players have finished in the top 10 in at least half their starts: Mickelson (12 of 16), Tiger Woods (nine of 13), Ernie Els (seven of 11), Retief Goosen (seven of 13), Vijay Singh (10 of 20), Stephen Ames (nine of 18) and Padraig Harrington (four of eight).

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From Hank Kuehne, on junior and PGA Tour rival Woods: “I remember a little 14-year-old kid with glasses, so I’m not scared of him and he doesn’t really intimidate me.”

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From Sam Torrance, on why he gave up the Champions Tour: “I’m too old to be doing that stuff.”

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We knew it was rare when Graham Marsh made two holes in one on the same hole last week at the Senior British Open and now we know how rare -- Arnold Palmer was the last to do it in 1986.

Marsh aced the 11th hole in the first round and then again in the third round at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. Palmer aced the third hole in a two-day pro-am preceding the 1986 Chrysler Cup at the TPC at Avenel.

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Annika Sorenstam will join Woods, Fred Couples and Adam Scott in the $1-million Merrill Lynch Skins Game, Nov. 27-28, at Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta.

Sorenstam won $225,000 last year when Couples defeated Mickelson in a four-hole playoff.

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Jockeys Lafitt Pincay Jr., Chris McCarron, Corey Nakatani, Eddie Delahoussaye and Kent Desormeaux will join Marlin McKeever, Willie Buchanon, Dr. Sammy Lee, Pete Shaw and Steve Hegg in the California Equine Retirement Foundation celebrity tournament Tuesday at Del Mar National Golf Club. The event benefits CERF, which provides a place for former racehorses when their racing careers end. Details: (760) 632-7770.

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The sixth Jim Murray Memorial classic will be played Oct. 18 at Wilshire Country Club. Bobby Rahal will be honored. The event benefits the Murray Foundation for journalism students. Details: (310) 476-8948.