The USGA is in the middle of its championship summer and this week it is the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster Pa.
Michelle Wie is trying to defend her 2014 title which she earned at the USGA’s historic back to back opens at Pinehurst No.2 last June.
It was Wie’s breakthrough major victory and combined with her win at The Lotte Championship she was poised to fulfill her potential and challenge for the number one spot in golf.
But injuries and illnesses have caused her to have a very pedestrian 2015 so far. The year began with strep throat and then a sinus infection. And then a nagging hip injury that made her withdraw from the Kingsmill Championship.
The hip injury forced Wie to adjust her setup with a narrower stance to limit her rotation. The hip isn’t the only thing that is painful, so are her results.
She’s managed no top tens her best finish being a T11 at The Lotte Championship. She ranks 70th in putting average, 64th in greens in regulation and 141st in driving accuracy. That’s no way to defend a U.S. Open title.
With all that, she is still optimistic about her chances here. “It’s definitely been a tough year with my game. It’s definitely not been as good as I want to be. I’ve been struggling with a couple of injuries and illnesses. But at the same time, I’m taking it day-by-day. Every day feels better than the day before. I’m definitely feeling better than I have been before. It feels good. I’m staying positive and just trying to improve a little bit here and there every day.”
She is still adjusting to her swing/stance changes and is fighting old habits. “When you’ve done something for so long, it’s definitely hard to break a habit. But like I said, it’s just been — I’ve been taking it slowly, just taking it, trying to be more comfortable with it, more confident with it each and every day. So now I think it would be weird for me to stand a little bit wider. I think I’m getting really comfortable with it. And with the side hill, downhills, I will stand a little bit wider, because you need that extra balance.”
We all know Michelle likes to have some fun and her year as U.S. Women’s Open Champion has been just that. “It’s great being called that (U.S. Women’s Open Champion). It doesn’t get old. It’s pretty amazing. I think the first couple of months it really didn’t sink in. It didn’t really feel like reality. It still felt like a dream. It’s slowly starting to sink in, I think. Seeing my trophy, getting the ring has definitely been inspiring, it’s definitely been a huge motivation for me moving forward. But it’s been fun. It’s been a fun journey.”
It will be interesting to see how much fun she will have on a traditional U.S. Open course with the best golfers in the world trying to steal her title.
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