Maturing Michelle Wie has first major in her sights

Wie not only made the cut that year, she fired a third-round 66 to put herself into Sunday's final threesome, eventually finishing ninth and announcing her presence on the world stage in dramatic fashion.

"It's as exciting this year as it was when I was 13," said Wie "I think that it's just an awesome golf course and golf tournament. It has so many like famous winners, so many traditions. It's just one of those tournaments where you want to win. It would mean the world to me if I could do that this week."

Wie, now 21 and a senior at Stanford University, came close to winning in 2006 when she was still only 16, missing a place in a play-off by just one shot. "I wouldn't call (winning a major) a natural step. I think it's kind of one of those things where you kind of dream about, work towards, and definitely over the past off-season that's really what I've been working on, win tournaments, win majors," she said. "That's kind of like the motivation for me to go out there and practice."

Wie expects to graduate next March and has played for the last two years, which have included two LPGA Tour victories, while maintaining her studies at the same time.

"It's one of the smartest decisions I made, going to college, because it made me grow up in ways that I could not do if I didn't go, like living on my own, learning to do stuff, and also juggling time because nobody is really telling you to go to class, no one is telling you to practise. It's really self-motivated stuff. So it made me grow up a lot," she said.

Catriona Matthew, third in this event in the past, is also in the field at Rancho Mirage, as are fellow Brits Becky Morgan, Laura Davies, Karen Stupples and rising English star Melissa Reid.