Michelle Withdraws from Safeway Due to Wrist Injury

Chronic injuries have punished great players in the past, but usually not as early as Michelle Wie is experiencing with her troublesome wrist injury. Michelle Wie withdrew from the Safeway International on Friday after tweaking an injury to her left wrist during practice last week.

Michelle apparantly reinjured her left wrist when she accidentally hit a ball that was embedded in thick rough on the driving range at her home base of Stanford University on March 13.

“I am extremely disappointed to miss the 2008 Safeway International,” Wie said. “I’m so grateful to Tom Maletis and the entire tournament staff for offering me this great opportunity, and hope to be back again next year.

The “great opportunity” Michelle is referring to is the sponsor exemption she garnered from tournament officicals to play in the event next week at Superstition Mountain in Arizona. She has played only one tournament this year, finishing 20 strokes behind winner Paula Creamer in the Fields Open in Hawaii late last month.

Smoller said Wie immediately consulted a doctor at Stanford and also saw a hand specialist in Los Angeles on Monday.

“Fortunately, X-rays, an MRI and a CAT scan didn’t show any major injury,” Smoller said. “Her doctor diagnosed it as a sprain, and advised Michelle to rest the wrist for a few weeks to allow it to heal properly.”

A piece of “rough”? Isn’t that pretty common in golf? It’s hard to believe that Michelle’s wrists are not stronger after playing golf since she was very young. Tiger Woods hits out from gravel and behind tree roots, and has broken a club or two in the process. Yet he never seems to have wrist injuries.

Granted, this has got to be very frustrating for Michelle, but how many sponsor exemptions can you miss for one reason or another before they just stop coming. The answer is only when Michelle draws no crowds or fans. When the money stops, the invitations will stop as well.

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