Michelle Wie has backed 16-year-old newcomer Lexi Thompson to do well on the pro circuit.
Michelle Wie has backed 16-year-old newcomer Lexi Thompson to do well on the pro circuit.
From one teenage prodigy to another, Wie knows what it's like to have the glare of the spotlight and the weight of expectations come at such an early age, but she believes Thompson will be able to handle it.
Wie turned professional shortly before her 16th birthday in 2005 amid an avalanche of hype and massive lucrative sponsorship deals.
Thompson will play on the LPGA Tour as a professional next year, and will be the youngest player on Tour.
Though Wie, now 22, admits she faced some difficulties and struggles when she first turned pro, she has backed Thompson to deal with what comes her way effectively.
"I think she'll be fine," Wie told The Associated Press. "It brings on a lot of pressure but I think you have to put everything into perspective and to keep working and try not to listen to what people say.
"You're going to have your ups and downs, you're going to let some people down. But it's your life, you've got to enjoy it, you've got to enjoy working at it."
Thompson, of course, enters the fray with one professional LPGA victory to her name already. She triumped at the LPGA Navistar Classic only a few weeks ago, as part of a field that included 45 of the world's top 50 players on the LPGA money list.
"I think she definitely has the game," Wie said. "I think she definitely deserves to be out there."
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