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Korean-American amateur golfer Michelle Wie (15) could become no less a money-spinner for advertisers than teenage tennis star Maria Sharapova and golfer Tiger Woods, the New York Times predicted Monday. The paper advertisers and network TV officials are sitting up as Wie competes with the men on the PGA Tour.
Quoting advertising industry sources, the paper said Wie¡¯s potential lies in her young age, where her skills are just starting to show, her unique personality and her desire to compete with the men. "She's very much focused at competing not at the top of the women's world, but at the top of the golf world,¡± the Times quoted Peter Stern, president of the Strategic Sports Group, as saying. ¡°She's a great sports story." Her popularity is benefiting the entire golf industry, as witness the 700,000 viewers who watched the U.S. Women's Open when Wie took part on June 24, the highest rating ever for a woman's golf event.
Advertisers and broadcasters say Wie can bring in revenues second only to tennis stars Sharapova and Serena Williams, and many forecast she could become the Tiger Woods of women's golf, the paper added.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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