PALM DESERT, Calif. - The practice range at Bighorn was empty early in the afternoon, except for a solitary figure on the far left end. Annika Sorenstam was all alone, working her way through wedges and short irons as her caddie caught each shot with a baseball glove, rarely moving.

There were no fans, no cameras, no swing coaches, no agents, no hype.

Only four months ago, the LPGA Tour was all about Sorenstam and her quest for the Grand Slam. Now, even the best player in women's golf is swallowed up in the shadow cast by Michelle Wie.

The 16-year-old from Hawaii will make her professional debut when the Samsung World Championship begins Thursday, an event that has attracted media from all over the world and turned the LPGA into the ”Michelle Wie Show.“