Wie Looks Like Next Million-Dollar Baby

Michelle Wie, who turns 16 in about six weeks, could be turning pro before then.

Although her father, B.J. Wie, said Friday that a final decision had not been made, there were growing indications that the golfing phenomenon was close to signing a contract with the William Morris Agency, which would end her amateur career. According to an insider, the agency offered Wie a large guarantee and also cut its commission to nothing.

“There’s a lot of speculation,” said B.J. Wie, who did not directly answer when asked about the role of the William Morris Agency.

“I’m still learning ... there’s so much to learn. To be honest, I haven’t decided [on] anything before her birthday, yet.”

Movie stars Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe were once clients of William Morris, best known for representing actors and others in show business. The agency has some athletes as clients, among them tennis player Serena Williams, boxer Oscar De La Hoya and NBA star Kevin Garnett.

“The Morris Agency knows business,” said Doug Shabelman, senior vice president of Burns Sports & Celebrities, a company that helps put athletes together with advertisers. “Just because they don’t have a big sports representation, it doesn’t mean they don’t know what they’re doing.”

When Wie played the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2004, she said “Tiger money” would persuade her to turn pro, and although she isn’t likely to come close to the five-year, $45-million deal Tiger Woods signed with Nike in 1996, she could fall into the $20-million neighborhood in a four- or five-year deal, according to Bob Williams, the president of Burns Sports.

A former agent for high-profile pros who did not want to be identified said Wie would be worth as much as $8 million a year to an image-making company such as Nike and that Wie might command as much as $10 million to $12 million a year.

Christian Muirhead, director of corporate communications at William Morris, declined to comment about Wie. Also having little to say was Ross Berlin, formerly the vice president in charge of title sponsor and marketing accounts for the PGA Tour, who recently gave notice to sign on with William Morris and is believed to be in line to represent Wie.

Berlin is going to remain in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where the PGA Tour is headquartered, but he shed no light on whether the agency had an agreement with Wie, if he might represent her, or even when his last day of work for the PGA Tour would be.

“I’m not going to comment on anything right now,” Berlin said.

Wie played seven LPGA Tour events this season, six on sponsors’ invitations, finishing second three times and third once. One of her second-place finishes was at the LPGA Championship, a major on the LPGA Tour.

If she had been a professional, she would have made $663,363, good enough for 11th place on the LPGA Tour’s money list this year.

Her next tournament is the $850,000 Samsung World Championship in October at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, two days after she turns 16.

By then, speculation is that Wie will be a professional, even though she will still be a junior in high school. When she signs an agreement with a management company, she loses her amateur status immediately.

At some point, Wie may want to join the LPGA Tour, but because she is not yet 18, she would have to petition Commissioner Carolyn Vesper Bivens for an exemption. Two recent 17-year-old applicants who asked for waivers -- Aree Song and Morgan Pressell -- were granted them. Pressell’s acceptance, however, had a provision that she could join when she turned 18 in May if she were successful in qualifying school this fall.

Wie is allowed six sponsors’ exemptions to play the LPGA Tour and could play the same number on the PGA Tour. For her to play a full-time schedule on the LPGA Tour as a member, she would have to go through qualifying school.

In her professional career, whenever it begins, Wie’s endorsement opportunities might not immediately be great outside the golf world, Shabelman said.

“As for the mainstream golf, she’ll do very well, but for other potential endorsements, it’s going to be more wait and see,” he said.

Wie has been getting guidance from experts as she moves toward her professional career.

David Leadbetter, who runs teaching academies in Bradenton and Campbell, Fla., among other locations, is Wie’s swing coach. Noted sports psychologist Jim Loehr of Orlando has seen Wie for more than 10 months, preparing her for what she might expect at the professional level.

“She’s going to come out when she’s ready, probably sooner rather than later, and set the world on fire,” Loehr said. “It’s hard to hold somebody back like Michelle. There’s something here that’s truly extraordinary.”

In comparing Wie to Woods, Loehr said, “She’s got the stuff. She’s wired up. I’m just trying to prepare her for what she’s going to face.”

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Crossover sensation

Some of Michelle Wie’s highlights in the last two years:

*--* 2004 * January: Plays in her first PGA Tour event, the Sony Open in Honolulu, and shoots 72-68. She misses the cut by one stroke. * March: Finishes tied for 19th in her first LPGA event of the year, the Safeway International, then finishes fourth in the first LPGA major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship. * June: As a member of the U.S. team, is the youngest golfer in the history of the Curtis Cup. Wins both her singles matches to help the U.S. defeat Great Britain and Ireland, 10-8. * June: Playing in a qualifier for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, she shoots 71-71. She finishes two strokes behind the winners and, while she fails to earn a bid to the Men’s Publinx, she is one of four alternates for the event. 2005 * January: Shoots 75-74 at the PGA Tour Sony Open and misses the cut by seven strokes. Finishes ahead of 14 PGA Tour players. * February: Earns her highest finish to date in an LPGA event, tied for second, at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay in Hawaii. * May: Finishes as third alternate in U.S. Open sectional qualifying. Is believed to be the first female to enter a U.S. Open qualifier. * June: Places second to Annika Sorenstam at the LPGA Championship, tying her best finish to date in an LPGA event and marking her best finish in an LPGA major. * June: Is the third-round leader at the U.S. Women’s Open, but stumbles to an 82 in the final round. * July: Shoots 70-71 (one under) at the PGA Tour John Deere Classic, missing the cut by two strokes. * July: Reaches the quarterfinals of the U.S. Public Links Championship before losing to Clay Ogden, 5 and 4. A victory in the tournament would have given her an invitation to the Masters.

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Sources: LPGA, PGA Tour, About.com