Many people are curious to see how Wie performs this year.

“It’s got to be small steps,” Wie’s swing coach David Leadbetter said. “In the middle of 2006, she looked like she had a chance to win every tournament she was entering. She’s going to have to work her way back. She’s going to have to get to the point where she builds her confidence, she gets her belief back and probably the respect of a lot of people, too.”

Sorenstam might on that list.

Wie withdrew from last year’s Ginn Tribute, hosted by Sorenstam, after shooting 14 over through 16 holes, saying she aggravated a wrist injury.

Wie said she withdrew because she “tweaked” the injury and not because of an LPGA Tour rule that bans non-tour members for the year if they shoot 88 or higher. Wie was two bogeys from that scenario when she stopped.

Two days later, Wie was hitting balls on the range, drawing sharp words from Sorenstam.

On Wednesday, Sorenstam said she wasn’t sure if Wie would receive another invitation to the tournament, or even if the teen had requested one.

When asked if all was smoothed about between the two, Sorenstam said she hasn’t talked to Wie.

“So it’s not (about) being smooth or not,” she said. “I’m just minding my own business. It’s nothing I walk around thinking about. She has her career and I have mine. That’s kind of how it is. I respect her as a golfer and I know she has a lot of talent and I wish her best.”

Last week, Sorenstam made her first appearance in Hawaii since winning the 2002 LPGA Takefuji Classic at Waikoloa. At the event, a towering 12-year-old girl made her LPGA Tour debut through a qualifier. Wie missed the cut by three strokes.

“A lot of things have happened since then,” Sorenstam said.

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Last year, Stacy Prammanasudh won her second LPGA Tour title at Ko Olina, leading wire-to-wire en route to a one-stroke victory over Jee Young Lee.

Prammanasudh is paired with Sorenstam and Japan’s Ai Miyazato for the first two rounds. Scores should be low if the winds stay down on the resort course with generous fairways.

“You can make birdies from 50 yards off the fairway,” Prammanasudh said. “On a golf course like this, you really don’t know who you anticipate playing well. Obviously, (Sorenstam) has won 70 times. There’s a reason for that. But it is anybody’s golf course.”

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