Major victory for Michelle Wie was what USA had been waiting on

Michelle Wie has taken a long and arduous route to reach the pinnacle of women’s golf.

America has been waiting a decade for her to become a star and she finally achieved that last Sunday by claiming the biggest title in the sport the US Women’s Open.

It’s hard to believe it’s now 10 years since she was invited to play with the men at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

She was only 13 but Ernie Els described Michelle as a star-in-the-making after playing with her in a practise round.

That week, she shot a two-under 68 and only missed the cut by one. Suddenly she was going to be the female Tiger Woods.

But because she couldn’t turn pro until she was 17, the pressure built and she couldn’t handle the expectations.

Michelle didn’t have the chance to develop naturally and away from the spotlight. It’s a valuable lesson for 11-year-old Lucy Li, who played in the US Open.

You could see what victory at Pinehurst meant for Wie. There was a huge release of tension from her shoulders.

I’m not sure she’ll become Woods-like in terms of dominance, but it was a huge boost for the women’s game.

They have been desperate to sell the sport to sponsors and they now have Wie plus fellow Americans Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson.

Plus, it turned out to be a brilliant idea to stage the US Open on the same course as the men a week later.

It played about 1000 yards shorter, but the greens were just as tricky and more importantly, the crowds were out in force.

It was a coincidence as they couldn’t get the course they wanted but Pinehurst is such a huge complex that it could cope.

This was a big success but I couldn’t envisage a time when the men’s and women’s British Open are staged at the same venue in successive weeks as the infrastructure wouldn’t work.

This year, because of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the women are playing at Royal Birkdale in the week before The Open.

But this is a great move because July in Britain is golf season and it brings great exposure.

With The Open taking place down the coast at Royal Liverpool, it’s a fabulous fortnight for golf fans in the North West.

Wie, Lewis and Thompson will lead the American challenge while we’re hoping for big things from young Charley Hull.

Birkdale will also be a wonderful chance for everyone to congratulate Dame Laura Davies.

Laura has been a fantastic amabassador for the women’s game in this country, on and off the course, and her new title is a fitting honour.