When she was a child, Michelle Wie West spoke softly and astonishingly swung a big golf stick.
Today, as the 32-year-old recently retired mother of a 2-year-old, she speaks confidently, with wisdom and commitment, comfortable carrying the weight of the world.
Figuratively, Title IX might have had nothing to do with the indelible impact Wie has had on golf and women’s sports. She didn’t play on the Punahou team or at Stanford, where she graduated in 41⁄2 years despite attending part-time and competing nearly full-time on the LPGA Tour.