Swengali: Wie Is Classic Burnout Case

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Express sports columnist Matt Swenson calls 'em as he sees 'em.

GREATNESS WAS PREDICTED for LeBron James since he was a teenager — and has he ever delivered.

In fact, James has made it look easy in ascending to his throne.

So easy that it can be hard to forget what a tremendous challenge it is — both mentally and physically — to compete at the highest level.

This weekend's LPGA Championship in Havre de Grace, Md., should offer a fresh reminder about the dangers of being too good too early.

Like James, Michelle Wie has been in the public eye for years. At 13, she was already a household name. At 16, only a year ago, Wie finished in the top five of three of the LPGA's major tournaments.

Since then, she has gone into a total nosedive. Wie appears to have developed a surly side and her play has suffered to the point where she seemingly faked an injury last week just to avoid a round so low that she'd be off the LPGA tour all year.

She appears headed toward burnout unless something is done. But all is not lost yet.

Wie should forget playing with men; she can't compete with them anyway. She should play fewer tournaments and find a life outside of golf to acheive some happiness. And then she should reach out to players like Annika Sorenstam to mend some broken fences.

At 17, Wie's future is still very much ahead of her. With the right care, it can be a great one. Otherwise, Wie could become a case-study in great talent gone wrong.

This post was written by contributor Matt Swenson
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images