So Good, You Know

They will play in the same group Thursday at the LPGA’s first major of the year at the Kraft Nabisco Championship -- 15-year-old Michelle Wie, 19-year-old Ai Miyazato and 22-year-old Natalie Gulbis. It may be the first grouping in history that needs a chaperon.

Wie is the junior partner of the trio, but she also provides senior leadership because this is her third trip around Mission Hills.

A sophomore in high school in Honolulu, Wie seems intent on taking advanced classes on the professional golf courses. The Kraft Nabisco will be her 20th LPGA event -- not to mention two appearances at the PGA Tour’s Sony Open -- and her third in a month, a stretch that includes a tie for second at the SBS Open in Hawaii and a tie for 12th last week at the Safeway International near Phoenix.

When she showed up Tuesday at Mission Hills, Wie seemed equal parts teenager and golfer-on-the-go.

She wore a bright, magenta shirt (“It’s probably fuchsia, but I’m not sure how to spell it”), a short black skirt, fire-engine-red fingernails, a ponytail and long, chain earrings that nearly grazed her shoulder.

If she is looked on as a normal teen, Wie has the usual accompaniments, such as her speech patterns. Last week, in a 22-question session with the media, she said “you know” 49 times and “I mean” 27 times.

If she is looked on as a golf prodigy with talent beyond her years, Wie has experience to make it as a pro, whenever she chooses.

For the record, Wie says she still intends to apply for acceptance into Stanford next year, when she is a junior.

“Hopefully I can do good,” she said.

But there might be another route she follows, one that would take her to the pros, and there is a chance that much of what determines taking that direction will be decided this week at Mission Hills.

In 2003, as a 13-year-old, Wie shot a third-round 66 and wound up tied for ninth in her first appearance at the Kraft Nabisco. Last year, she was fourth. This year, after working on her short game and her consistency with her instructor, David Leadbetter, Wie is hoping for something even better.

Her goal, at the top of her list, is to win a tournament this year. If that happens, it’s possible that Wie might turn pro before she applies for admission to Stanford.

The LPGA’s regulations have an age minimum of 18, but they also state that if an amateur under 18 wins a tournament, she can petition Commissioner Ty Votaw for an early entry.

The last time that happened was two years ago, when 17-year-old Aree Song received permission from Votaw to turn pro, then made it through qualifying school and played 25 times in 2004, making $426,327.

Wie, who has been courted by management group IMG and by Nike, remains a clear amateur in the eyes of the U.S. Golf Assn., but there is a chance that neither the NCAA nor Stanford would not be as easygoing in a review of her amateur status, and that makes a pro career even more compelling to consider.

B.J. Wie, a professor of transportation at the University of Hawaii, did not mention Stanford and did not say it was impossible when asked whether there was any scenario under which his daughter would turn pro this year.

“We have a lot of options to choose from,” he said. “This is a very, very important decision for her. She’s still a minor. I want to make the best decision for Michelle. That’s fair to say.”

What’s at stake may be millions. Bob Burns of Burns Sports and Celebrities, a company that puts together deals for athletes and endorsers, said that Wie would be worth $20 million over four or five years to a company such as Nike, and B.J. Wie followed up on that information to find out for himself, an act the USGA allows.

In the meantime, the coast isn’t exactly clear for Wie. Miyazato is a six-time winner on the Japanese LPGA Tour and has already announced her plan to qualify for the LPGA Tour in 2006.

Besides Song, there is also 18-year-old Paula Creamer, who is already a professional. Creamer made the cut in all seven of her LPGA events last year (the same as Wie) and nearly became the first amateur to win on the LPGA Tour in 25 years when she was second by a shot at the ShopRite Classic. At qualifying school, Creamer won by five shots.

And that’s not even mentioning the established hierarchy, led by Annika Sorenstam, who has won both tournaments she has played this year and four in a row, dating to 2004.

So, whatever way Wie decides to play it, whether she turns pro or not, it’s probably going to hinge on answering a simple question -- an age-old question.

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Better With Age

Michelle Wie made her major debut at the 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship. A look at her two Mission Hills tournaments with scores and finish:

2003

* 72-74-66-76, 288...Tied for 9th

2004

* 69-72-69-71, 281 ...4th