Sorenstam hits out at Wie injury
WASHINGTON: A row between the world's two best known women golfers is raising the temperature for this week's LPGA Championship, with Annika Sorenstam saying Michelle Wie lacked class in dealing with a wrist injury.
Former world No 1 Sorenstam took issue with a decision by teenager Wie to withdraw from a tournament last week when she was 14 over par, citing a wrist injury, only to practise two days later.
"I just feel there's a little bit of a lack of respect and class just to leave a tournament like that and then come out and practise here," Sorenstam told a news conference.
Wie was 16 holes into the opening round of last week's tournament in North Carolina week when she pulled out, complaining of a wrist injury that had kept her from playing since January.
Two days later, the 17-year-old, who recently graduated from high school, was practising at the Bulle Rock Golf Course in Maryland, the site of the LPGA Championship starting today.
"I don't think I need to apologise for anything," Wire said. "I just have to take care of my body and mover forward and only think of positive things."
Adding intrigue to her withdrawal was an LPGA rule that any non-member who shoots 88 or worse in a round is barred from the tour for the rest of the season. Wie was two bogeys away from that ignominious score.
"I don't think about [shooting] 88," she said. "I mean, that's just ridiculous."
Agencies
(China Daily 06/07/2007 page24)
