BEIJING, June 7 -- A row between the world's two best known women golfers is raising the temperature for this week's LPGA Championship, with Annika Sorenstam saying Michelle Wie lacked class in dealing with a wrist injury.

Former world No. 1 Sorenstam took issue with a decision by teenager Wie to withdraw from a tournament last week when she was 14 over par, citing a wrist injury, only to practice two days later.

"I just feel there's a little bit of a lack of respect and class just to leave a tournament like that and then come out and practice here," Sorenstam said.

Wie was 16 holes into the opening round of last week's event in North Carolina week when she pulled out, complaining of a wrist injury that had kept her from playing since January.

Two days later, the 17-year-old, who recently graduated from high school, was practicing at the Bulle Rock Golf Course in Maryland, the site of the LPGA Championship starting today.

Wie, who is not a member of the women's tour and has played courtesy of sponsors' exemptions, including in men's events, refused to back down.

"I don't think I need to apologize for anything," she said. "I just have to take care of my body and move forward and only think of positive things."

Adding intrigue to her withdrawal was an LPGA rule that any non-member who shoots 88 or worse in a round is barred from the tour for the rest of the season. Wie was two bogeys away from that ignominious score. "I don't think about (shooting) 88," she said. "I mean, that's just ridiculous."

Wie's troubles were compounded when her playing partners in a pro-am event on Monday at Bulle Rock lodged a complaint, causing LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens to meet Wie's father, B.J., and agent, Greg Nared.

Although the nature of the dispute was unclear, Wie was adamant she had been cooperative with her playing partners. "I think it was very insulting because I tried my best," she said.

Wie, who earned close to 20 million U.S. dollars in 2006 from endorsements, earnings and appearance money overseas, has struggled since tying for fifth place at last year's LPGA Championship.

But her game began to disintegrate that summer. She was taken away on a stretcher from the John Deere Classic. She finished dead last in consecutive weeks in Switzerland and Pennsylvania competing against the men.

She failed to break 80 at the Casio World Open on the Japanese tour. She even struggled against the women, finishing 17th in a field of 20 at the Samsung World Championship.

Her troubles now go beyond the wrist injury and her swing.

She is no longer the prodigy that amazed the golf world with such power for such youth.

She is 17, but no longer a kid.

There was a time the LPGA Tour needed Wie a lot more than Wie needed the LPGA Tour. That might not be the case anymore.

People are far more willing to forgive a bad round than bad manners.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)