South Hadley, Mass. ? Michelle Wie is the most famous teenager in golf.

That doesn’t mean she’s the best.

Not yet, anyway.

The 14-year-old Hawaiian showed up at the U.S. Women’s Open with plenty of company — a record 16 teenagers in the 156-player field at Orchards Golf Club.

That doesn’t include Morgan Pressel, the 16-year-old pixie from south Florida who whipped Wie in the third round of the U.S. Junior Girls Amateur last summer. Also absent is Ya-Ni Tseng of Taiwan, the 15-year-old who rallied over the closing holes to beat Wie last week in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links.

Wie finished ahead of Annika Sorenstam in the first LPGA Tour major of the year. She was better than Adam Scott over two days at the Sony Open, where her 68 was the best ever by a female on the PGA Tour.

She wants to play both tours one day, and Ernie Els is among those who believes she can.

But there is plenty of competition in her own age group.

Topping the list is Paula Creamer, the 17-year-old Californian with an engaging smile and a game that is only now starting to get noticed.

Michelle Wie smiles and admires her putter after a sinking a long shot on the ninth hole during practice for the U.S. Women's Golf Open. Wie practiced Tuesday at The Orchards in South Hadley, Mass.

Creamer starred at the Curtis Cup last month. With matches tied at 6 going into the Sunday singles, Creamer was sent out in the first match against the best from Great Britain & Ireland, Emma Duggleby, beating her, 3 and 2, to give the United States an emotional lift on its way to a 10-8 victory.

When they returned home, Wie went to the men’s Amateur Public Links and failed to qualify by one shot. Creamer competed on the LPGA Tour and finished second, one shot behind Cristie Kerr, at the ShopRite Classic. Wie has never been higher than fourth on the LPGA, although that was at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, a major.

The following week, Wie lost in the finals of the Women’s Amateur Public Links, a noble effort considering the vagaries of match play and the pressure she faced as defending champion.

Creamer continued her tour of the LPGA and tied for 12th in Rochester, N.Y., on a tough course. She was one of only five players who shot par or better all four days.

Despite their age, a rivalry already is budding.

It started last summer in the Women’s Open, when Creamer delighted in getting grouped with — and beating — Wie in the 36-hole qualifier. Wie-mania was just taking off, but the 17-year-old Creamer wanted nothing to do with it.

“She’s just another junior golfer,” Creamer said at the time. “I don’t really see her as someone beyond me. I’ve played her twice and beat her both times.”

Wie has won only one title of distinction, but it was a biggie. A year ago at age 13, she became the youngest winner of a USGA championship for grown-ups when she captured the Women’s Amateur Public Links.