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Wie adopts pain-free approach

Michelle Wie has vowed to approach the European Tour’s season-ending tournament, the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, with a carefree attitude after an enforced injury lay-off.

The American, 21, had to sit out the LPGA Tour Championship earlier this month following her withdrawal from the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, where she was the defending champion, with back pain in November.

However, following some rest and recuperation at home and rehabilitation in the physio room, Wie is preparing to get back into the swing of things on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course and all the happier for it.

“I’m very excited to be here and to play and – hopefully – I can do as well as last year, or better.

“I’m just going to go out there and have fun,” the 2009 tournament’s runner-up said.

“I’ve just been rehabbing and recovering. I hit some balls last week, so – this week – I’m just going to go out there and try to play pain-free.”

However she fares over the next four days though, Wie is anxious to instigate improvements in her game ahead of 2011 in the wake of a below-par 12 months by her own high expectations.

“It’s really important to finish strong, so it would make a vacation a lot more fun if I play really well this week,” she admitted.

“But, whatever I do this week – whether I play well or badly – I know I’m going to want to play better next season.

“So, it’s going to be a great motivator in the off-season to try to become a better player next season.”

Wie then is targeting an improved start to the upcoming calendar year, where she seemingly struggled in 2010, with a distinct focus on capitalising on her good performances, doing better every week and staying healthy.

Those aspirations are of paramount importance too, with the overall standard of the opposition continually on the rise.

“Every week, it gets tougher and tougher to win. The scores get lower,” the one-time teen sensation explained.

“Everyone is very competitive, people are going to try their hardest this week and everyone is going to try to win.

“I really do hope I’ve not reached my peak yet. I do feel like I have a lot more.

“But, I really just need to practise in the off-season, not have any injuries and really go out there and try to unleash it.”

Wie, who revealed she felt “a lot better” and was “thinking optimistically” about her back complaint, also had words of advice for the youngest female professional golfer in the world, 15-year-old Alexis Thompson, ahead of her Dubai Ladies Masters debut.

“I would just advise her to go out there and have fun, hang out with friends and enjoy your life,” she added.

“You get to come out here and play golf. It’s just a lot of fun, so enjoy it.”

alex@khaleejtimes.com