Having finished her fourth year playing the maximum LPGA events allowed without joining the tour and still searching for a victory that would quiet her critics, Michelle Wie is determined to stay the course.

PALM DESERT, Calif. — In the morning chill of the California desert, Michelle Wie tried one last time to find her swing.

She pulled her driver from her neon pink-and-black golf bag, aligned herself toward a green 290 yards away at the farthest end of the practice range, and gave it a rip. She finished with only one hand on the club after hitting a snap hook. Shaking her head, Wie tried again and got the same result, at least keeping both hands on the club.

One more try.

This one reminded a dozen people watching why there is such a fuss over the 17-year-old from Hawaii. It was a majestic shot, never leaving its target until it landed on the front of the green, bringing a satisfied smile to Wie's face.

Then she shot 75 in the final round of the Samsung World Championship, closing out her LPGA Tour season with her worst score against the women all year.

"Sometimes you have to take a step back to get better," Wie said.

That snapshot on the range at Bighorn summed up the first year of the most famous golfer without a professional victory.

There were times when Wie simply dazzled.

She was tied for the lead on the back nine of three LPGA majors, a shot or two away from being the youngest major champion in history. She received worldwide attention during a detour to Canoe Brook, the New Jersey golf course she made famous by nearly becoming the first woman to qualify for the U.S. Open.

And there were times when everyone wondered what in the world Wie was doing.

She withdrew midway through the second round of the John Deere Classic with heat exhaustion. Worse yet were the scores that followed in two more forays against the men — dead last in the European Masters and 84 Lumber Classic in consecutive weeks.

"Those two events left a sour taste in everyone's mouth, including hers," swing coach David Leadbetter said. "Having the skill level is only one aspect of this pie. It's a challenge. This is the route they've taken, and it's unusual. She's very much a pioneer. If she's successful, it will have been the right thing. If not, they'll castigate her."

Starting her senior year in high school, having finished her fourth year playing the maximum LPGA events allowed without joining the tour, and still searching for a victory that would quiet her critics, Wie is determined not to look back.

She jokes about leaving the John Deere in an ambulance — "At least they could have turned the siren on," she said — and delights in six top 5s on the LPGA and having her first legitimate chance to win.

"Just the taste of it wanted me to do even better," she said.