Wie Goes To The Long Putter

Ron Sirak reporting from the Evian Masters, the fifth in line to the throne of LPGA majors.

But on the relatively benign greens at Evian GC, Wie needed 32 putts in Thursday's first round. While it is unlikely she will ever become a great putter -- those tend to be born and not made -- she could become a good one. Sorenstam, through hard work and mental toughness, overcame shaky short putting early in her career to become solid on the greens.

Some say Wie will play better when she graduates from Stanford next spring. But, except for her passionate performance at the 2009 Solheim Cup, every indication is that she enjoys college life more than life on tour. Will she be liberated to play better golf after school is out, or will she miss that life?

Wie is one of the most interesting stories in golf. The LPGA could use her to become a dominant player, not just a one-win-a-year top-10 player. Her face still adorns the fitness trailer at tournaments each week despite the fact others -- Tseng, Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Jiyai Shin -- have accomplished far more.