Sorenstam urges Wie to forget the men's tour and stick with the women

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Annika Sorenstam yesterday added her voice to the barrage of criticism aimed at Michelle Wie for attempting to pursue a career in the men’s game.

Teenager Wie has not even bothered trying to qualify for the fourth and final major of the year — the Ricoh British Women’s Open — in order to play against men for the eighth time this year in the Reno Taho Open on the U.S. Tour.

And, given that Wie has not made a cut in seven previous attempts playing against men and has a best place of 24th on the U.S. Women’s Tour this year, it is a decision Sorenstam cannot understand.

Handing advice: Annika Sorenstam

The 37-year-old Swede, who tees up in a major for the last time at Sunningdale tomorrow before turning her attention to a wide range of business interests, said: ‘We all have different agendas in life, but I don’t know why Michelle continues to do this.

‘I mean we have a major this week and if you can’t qualify to play in a major, I don’t see any reason why you should play with men,’ added Sorenstam, who despite her 85 victories worldwide only ever accepted one invitation to play against men.

But Wie, three months short of her 19th birthday, is unrepentant. Speaking in Reno, she said: ‘I wish I had no critics, but I’m realistic. People will write negative things about me. The only thing I can control is myself. A good score will resolve everything.

‘I’m honoured to be here playing against such high-calibre competition. Hopefully, I’ll play well — I think it’ll be a good test of my game.

‘I’m not going to focus on making the cut. My goal is to make fewer bogeys and more birdies. Focus on the little things and it’ll take care of itself.’

Sorenstam’s appearance at Sunningdale is the latest stop in a farewell tour. At the end of the season she will turn her back on the professional game to concentrate on her academy for youngsters in Florida. But despite saying she now finds it difficult to motivate herself for four pressured rounds of tournament play, she insists she has not come to make up the numbers.

Michelle Wie: focusing on the men's tour

‘I still believe in myself and I know I can play this course,’ she said.

‘And I would love to win here because the British is the only one of our majors that I haven’t won two or three times.So if I could win, I would then be able to say that I have achieved everything that I possibly could in the sport.’

Should she fail, she has not ruled out returning to the sport she has dominated for the past 15 years. ‘I want to start the next chapter of my life and see what happens,’ she said.

‘I find it harder to get motivated for golf tournaments nowadays; the desire and the hunger is not there as it used to be.

‘But the door is not closed on me coming back and that's why I don’t use the ‘R’ word. I have said that I am stepping away. All of my sponsors are staying with me. Maybe they are hoping that I am going to come back and if I get the urge then I know I can.’