Wie to turn pro
Say it ain’t so, Michelle!
Golf World (via ESPN) reports Wie to turn pro.
Michelle Wie will turn pro sometime between now and Oct. 11 — her 16th birthday — perhaps as early as next week. In doing so, she will become the world’s highest-paid female golfer.
According to sources involved in the negotiations who requested anonymity, Wie will sign endorsement deals with three companies (one believed to be Nike) worth an estimated $8 million. Adding in tournament appearance fees and other endorsements, the Hawaiian teen’s compensation for her first year as a pro is expected to reach $10 million — not counting what she wins on the course. She also will enlist the services of the William Morris Agency to secure further commercial endorsements and guide her pro career, shunning traditional golf-management companies and suggesting her long-term aspirations may involve transcending the game as much as dominating it.