Michelle Wie can make life easier for U.S. Solheim Cup captain Beth Daniel by rocking the European swing of the LPGA Tour with eye-catching performances in the Evian Masters starting today followed by the Women's British Open next week.

A victory or top-five finishes by Wie would solve Daniel's dilemma of having to resort to a captain's pick to get the Hawai'i star on the American team for the Solheim Cup next month. It'll also make Golf Channel's day, if Wie gets to play.

Daniel is on record as saying that she's definitely considering Wie as one of her two captain's picks, telling Golf Channel, "Michelle Wie's a possibility for sure. She's been playing well. She's been showing me something ... I've said all along she has to move up in the points a little bit to be considered, but if you look at her stats and how she's playing, she's playing as good as anybody. She's on my radar screen, but it's so up in the air."

It's in keeping with what Daniel has said since being named team captain: "I want someone who's playing really well going into the event. That's mostly what I'm looking for, that's probably going to be the main thing."

The top 10 point leaders automatically make the American team against their European counterparts in the women's version of the Ryder Cup. In 16th place with 133.5 points, Wie has some catching up to do. She could only start earning points starting this year as an official LPGA member, while the others had a year's head start. And there were fewer events on this year's LPGA schedule that made it more difficult for first-year players to earn points. It also didn't help that Wie didn't get in the U.S. Women's Open, a major that is worth 120 points for winning because it's Solheim Cup year. Wie can make up valuable ground in the Evian Masters, where she has a great track record, and the Women's British Open, which, unfortunately, has been so-so for her.

That magic number 10th spot is currently held by Natalie Gulbis with 201 points. But all 15 point leaders ahead of Wie are in the Evian Field, including two of Daniel's veteran buddies, Pat Hurst and Juli Inkster, ranked 13th and 14th, respectively. That's why Daniel is in a difficult position, unless Wie does well with at least top-5 finishes in the next two weeks.

Playing in the Solheim Cup was one of the goals that Wie mentioned in her debut as a card-carrying LPGA member at the season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay, which, alas, is no longer with us. Interestingly, it was at Turtle Bay that Inkster said, "Everybody asks me, why are you still playing? I would say, (so) I can play one more Solheim Cup this year."

It would be the eighth Solheim Cup for the 49-year-old Inkster, member of both the LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame, giving her a tie with Daniel and Meg Mallon for the most appearances in the biennial event that began in 1990.

It's tough for Daniel not to send Inkster off with a Last Hurrah for old times sake. Of course, if I had my way, I'd pick Inkster and Wie for her Q-ratings appeal, as my captain's picks, if they both don't finish among the top 10 when the Solheim countdown ends after the Women's British Open.

So far this year, Wie has outplayed all but Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford, Kristy McPherson and Brittany Lincicome among the 15 Solheim point leaders ahead of her, trailing only those five Americans on the 2009 money list.

Wie is 11 for 11 in cuts made and her five top-10 finishes match what the five players immediately ahead of her (Laura Diaz, Stacy Prammanasudh, Hurst, Inkster and Jane Park) have combined this year. Diaz and Prammanasudh are particularly vulnerable under Daniel's criteria of "playing well" as they've combined to miss 14 cuts with only Prammanasudh posting a top-10 finish.

Here's hoping Wie can vault into the top 10 to avoid leaving it all up to Daniel. As I've said, Wie has a fine track record in the Evian Masters. In four previous appearances, she finished tied for second twice, the first as an amateur in 2005, and again the following year when she earned her biggest paycheck to date — $255,373. She also finished tied for third in the 2003 Women's British Open, but tied for 26th in 2006 and missed the cut in 2007, while playing with Daniel, by the way.

Wie fell off the radar in 2008, missing both European stops, but now is back. We use to hold a Beth Watch for Daniel, who won two of her career 33 LPGA victories in back-to-back weeks in 1990 at Ko Olina and Wailea. Now, there's a Beth Watch of a different kind coming up.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Beginning this week, we'd like to honor upcoming birthdays of local golf notables:

July 24 — Bob Tom (1927), Brad Bowen (1961), Jarett Hamamoto (1984), Lehua Wise (1985).

July 25 — Lee Hardy (1962).

July 26 — David Ishii (1955), Gary Planos (1953).