michelle wie
Happy Birthday, Michelle.
Today Michelle Wie turns 16. An important milestone for any girl but in her case this birthday will have an effect on many others. You see today Michelle turns pro. For anyone unfamiliar with Ms Wie, she's golf's preminent junior golfer. A young woman who's reportedly going to earn far more her first pro year than the top ranked woman golfer, Annika Sorenstam. $10 million versus $8 million. Like the last huge teen golf phenom, Tiger Woods, this money is based largely on a very lucrative contract with Nike. According to Fortune Magazine, just her Nike contract is worth $5 million a year with performance incentives that could drive it a lot higher.
How does this affect you? Assuming she starts winning--Michelle's only had one tournament win, in 2003--Michelle Wie will be a household name on a par, pun intended, with Tiger Woods. Given her gender and ethnic background, Michelle can make even bigger inroads into the national and world consciousness. A marketer's dream--which translates to a direct line into the wallet of anyone with kids. LOL
Demographic appeal strictly along gender and racial lines is one thing, but charisma and good looks are so much better. Michelle Wie has the complete package as far as both marketers and the public demand. She's genuinely nice--and great looking with a natural dynamic with the camera. Her agency, William Morris, is much better known for handling Hollywood talent than for sports. Since the Wie family had the pick of any agency they wanted, their choice of William Morris makes it obvious that their plans for Michelle go way beyond golf.
Speaking of golf, Wie can hit drives along side almost any of the male golfers--even the pros. She drives 300 yards regularly and has a record of 391 yards. Hell, the best drive I've ever done is around 260 yards though my brother has no difficulty getting way past 300--but he's a scratch golfer. Of course in a real tournament that kind of fire power, while spectacular, is mostly wasted since the real game is on the green and that's Wie's main difficulty.
Should Wie overcome her problematic short game however, there's no limit to what she can do. As is, even if she doesn't push her pro golf game into the stratosphere, Wie has the looks and charm to make an indelible impression on the world in many other fields. Look for her soon on a movie screen near you. And there's also endorsements, video games, books, and personal appearances. Gotta love marketing!
Today Michelle Wie turns 16. An important milestone for any girl but in her case this birthday will have an effect on many others. You see today Michelle turns pro. For anyone unfamiliar with Ms Wie, she's golf's preminent junior golfer. A young woman who's reportedly going to earn far more her first pro year than the top ranked woman golfer, Annika Sorenstam. $10 million versus $8 million. Like the last huge teen golf phenom, Tiger Woods, this money is based largely on a very lucrative contract with Nike. According to Fortune Magazine, just her Nike contract is worth $5 million a year with performance incentives that could drive it a lot higher.
How does this affect you? Assuming she starts winning--Michelle's only had one tournament win, in 2003--Michelle Wie will be a household name on a par, pun intended, with Tiger Woods. Given her gender and ethnic background, Michelle can make even bigger inroads into the national and world consciousness. A marketer's dream--which translates to a direct line into the wallet of anyone with kids. LOL
Demographic appeal strictly along gender and racial lines is one thing, but charisma and good looks are so much better. Michelle Wie has the complete package as far as both marketers and the public demand. She's genuinely nice--and great looking with a natural dynamic with the camera. Her agency, William Morris, is much better known for handling Hollywood talent than for sports. Since the Wie family had the pick of any agency they wanted, their choice of William Morris makes it obvious that their plans for Michelle go way beyond golf.
Speaking of golf, Wie can hit drives along side almost any of the male golfers--even the pros. She drives 300 yards regularly and has a record of 391 yards. Hell, the best drive I've ever done is around 260 yards though my brother has no difficulty getting way past 300--but he's a scratch golfer. Of course in a real tournament that kind of fire power, while spectacular, is mostly wasted since the real game is on the green and that's Wie's main difficulty.
Should Wie overcome her problematic short game however, there's no limit to what she can do. As is, even if she doesn't push her pro golf game into the stratosphere, Wie has the looks and charm to make an indelible impression on the world in many other fields. Look for her soon on a movie screen near you. And there's also endorsements, video games, books, and personal appearances. Gotta love marketing!
Comments
However, I do suspect that she will venture into other areas and won't become an unknown.
Golf is not a game I like or understand though. Even though I tend to like sports that you can play alone, I don't see the appeal of hitting a ball and talking a long walk just so you can hit it again. I also suspect that I'd not want to finish the game if I was doing horribly, even though I'm not really a quitter.