Wie eyes number one spot after return from wrist surgery

Michelle Wie believes a rebuilt wrist and a remodelled swing can power her to the top of golf's world rankings for the first time as she sets out to defend her title at "Asia's Major" this week.

"Being number one in the world is the most important thing to me," said the 29-year-old American ahead of the $1.5 million HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore which begins on Thursday and features the world's top 20 players.

A year ago Singapore's Sentosa Golf Club was the scene of one of Wie's greatest triumphs, but she ended the season undergoing surgery on a painful wrist that caused her to withdraw during the British Open in August.

Wie had been battling arthritis in both wrists and since the operation last October has reconfigured her swing to limit the pain and prevent long-term damage.

"Definitely after surgery, it's taken me a long road to be here today," Wie said.

"I am using a little bit more wrist than I did last year but substantially less than I have before, but it's all about trying to be as pain-free as possible."
- 'Everything has shaped me' -
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"I knew I had to make birdies and then I was on the last hole, and I saw the big leaderboard on the 18th. I was like 'Wow! if I birdie this hole... I could possibly win.'
"I knew I had to make it. I hit the ball pretty hard. I was like I'm not leaving this short. It was a lot of emotions and it was pretty awesome."
"Everything that's happened in the past, good or bad, has shaped me," said Wie. "I feel like I've dealt with a lot of things."