Michelle Wie: I can only watch golf for 30 minutes

Even a resurgent Tiger Woods in full flight at the business end of an Open Championship can't get Michelle Wie glued to golf on TV. 'Thirty minutes - that's all I can handle of watching golf,' revealed the American.
Michelle Wie is in Gullane this week for the Ladies Scottish Open. Picture: Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesMichelle Wie is in Gullane this week for the Ladies Scottish Open. Picture: Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Michelle Wie is in Gullane this week for the Ladies Scottish Open. Picture: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Wie was initially referring to the recent men’s Scottish Open at Gullane, where she is teeing up in another star-studded field for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.

However, she also admitted that had been the case despite arriving in the home of golf in Sunday and seeing on a TV that Woods, without a major win since 2008, was leading at Carnoustie before ending up joint-sixth behind Francesco Molinari.

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“The weekend was very exciting and I watched Tiger playing – but then I looked at my watch and 30 minutes is all I can handle and I had to leave,” she added. “In fact, 30 minutes is a record for me now.”

On her debut in the event at Dundonald Links 12 months ago, Wie, pictured, tied for 19th in the Ladies Scottish Open before getting in the mix the following week in the British Women’s Open at Kingsbarns, where she shared third spot.

The 28-year-old is in good fettle heading into this week’s $1.5 million event in East Lothian­, having made 14 out of 14 cuts this year and winning the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in March. “Winning over here in Scotland would be pretty cool, and it’s something that I’m working very hard for,” said Wie. “I really enjoyed myself last year, and I felt like it was a great British Open prep. So I made sure that I put it in my schedule again this year, and I’m very excited for this week.

“It’s definitely a little bit different [to Dundonald Links[ with all the elevation changes,” Wie added of the Gullane composite championship course. “I wasn’t quite expecting that. It looked flatter on TV. But it’s a beautiful golf course. It’s challenging. And I think it’s great.”

Also in a field that includes ten of the world’s top 15 is Charley Hull, who has been equally consistent this season in making the cut in all 15 of her starts. “I haven’t played links golf since the British Open last year, so it’s always nice to come back to it, and I feel my game is in good shape,” said the 22-year-old English player. “I’ve been playing links golf since I was younger, so I know what kind of shots I’ve always got in the bag.

“Obviously next week is the major, the Ricoh Women’s British Open [at Royal Lytham], and to me I think this is a good warm-up for it, but I also want to do really well. It is a big event. Anything in the UK to me is a big event.”