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Expect a sweet 16th birthday Oct.11 for Michelle Wie, who probably will turn pro as early as next week in time for the Samsung World Championship on Oct.13-16 at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, Calif.
"That will be an option," said her father, B.J. Wie, from Honolulu, "but there's no definite plan when we'll make the announcement."
The Wies might wait until after Samsung, her eighth and final LPGA event this season, he said, although the "timing of it depends on sponsorship deals still up in the air."
If she had turned pro this year, she would have earned $640,870.
Wie also said Tuesday that his daughter plans to wait until she turns 18 to play full time on the LPGA tour, relying on six maximum sponsor exemptions each year, plus invitations to PGA Tour events and tournaments overseas. He said his daughter hopes to attend Stanford part time after she graduates from high school in 2007.
As for an agent, Wie said, "We have not signed any contracts yet."
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