She is just 16, but smooth-swinging Michelle Wie is already the world's No. 2-- ranked woman golfer. The Hawaiian high school junior, who is still chasing her first pro title, will tee off this week at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the year. She spoke with TIME's Jeff Chu about Rush Limbaugh, her dream prom date and playing nine holes with Condoleezza Rice.
THE NABISCO IS THE FIRST BIG EVENT OF THE YEAR FOR YOU. HOW ARE YOU FEELING GOING INTO THE SEASON? I'm so excited about everything that's going to happen this week and this year. I'm putting in a lot more practice than I used to, so I feel like the time has come. I'll play well this year, and I'll be able to have a lot of fun.
THE MASTERS IS THE WEEK AFTER THE NABISCO, AND YOU HAVE SAID YOUR GOAL IS TO PLAY AGAINST THE GUYS THERE SOMEDAY. It's totally my life's dream in golf, and I'm never going to give it up. It was the first tournament I saw on TV with my dad, and I think it was the first year that Tiger won--'97, I think. I was like, "Wow, that golf course is so pretty." But I didn't realize it was a men's event only. The older I got, the more I learned about how hard it is to get into the tournament--and that no woman has played it before. That makes me want it even more.
ONE OF YOUR NICKNAMES IS THE BIG WIESY--AFTER ERNIE (THE BIG EASY) ELS, WHO IS YOUR IDOL IN GOLF. WHO ARE YOUR ROLE MODELS OUTSIDE GOLF? A couple of weeks ago, I met the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and I thought she was really amazing. I look up to her because she's a really strong woman. I can't believe I played nine holes with her. She was kind of a beginner, but she was pretty athletic. She actually hit her driver really well. She liked hitting her driver. Anyway, I don't really remember everything. It was such a blur, and I was like, "Oh my God, it's the Secretary of State." They put me in charge of driving her around [in the golf cart]. I was like, If I crash, the Secretary of State goes down with me.
THERE'S AN IMPRESSIVE GROUP OF COMPETITIVE YOUNG WOMEN GOLFERS RIGHT NOW--AND OCCASIONALLY YOU GET SOME TRASH TALK FROM THEM. It's nice to see that they have their opinions. They have the right to say whatever they want to say. It doesn't bother me. I'm used to people judging me without even knowing me. I'm in high school.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL? I really enjoy chemistry. When I first took the class, I didn't think I knew how to study it. It just seemed like a lot of memorizing and equations and all that. But it's really cool. You get to blow stuff up. Last class, we took a Styrofoam cup and put it next to a vacuum cleaner, and it sucked all the air out of it, and it became like a midget Styrofoam cup. We also get to work with dangerous chemicals, so that class is pretty fun.
YOUR LEAST FAVORITE? It's kind of hard to say. I think all my teachers read TIME, So I'd get into some trouble if I said.
RUSH LIMBAUGH REPORTEDLY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT YOU RECENTLY [calling her a "triumph of marketing"] --Huh? Who's that?
YOU DON'T KNOW WHO RUSH LIMBAUGH IS? Uh oh.
HE'S ON THE RADIO. I don't listen to the radio much.
SO WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? I'm really into Matisyahu. I love his stuff. It's a little bit reggae. It's a little bit cool rap. It has a really good beat to it. He's so unique. I love him.