/ AP

Michelle Wie fell out of contention early in the finals round of the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday.

Seven of the top 10 finishers at Cherry Hills were 23 years old or younger.

Brittany Lang, 19, and Morgan Pressel, 17, shared runner-up honors and earned gold medals for finishing the week as low amateurs.

Paula Creamer, 18, Natalie Gulbis, 22, and Lorena Ochoa, 23, all made some noise on the weekend and represent the youth movement on the LPGA Tour.

"It just shows there’s a lot of great talent out there,’’ Sorenstam said.

"Doesn’t really matter what age you are. That’s the new generation. I think we should welcome them all and say, `Hey, that’s good for golf.’’’

Sorenstam, 34, remains in her prime, and fending off the young guns could prove entertaining.

Gulbis has pin-up girl looks and a pin-seeking game. Creamer already has an LPGA victory on her resume and possesses the demeanor of a seasoned pro.

But, ultimately, the heavy lifting belongs to Pressel and Wie. They have the potential to form a Mickelson-Woods rivalry for the next 20 years.

A spitfire who bristles at the attention afforded Wie, Pressel wears her emotions on her sleeve, whereas Wie has been groomed to maintain a poker face between the ropes.

Pressel’s journey has run through the American Junior Golf Association. Wie prefers to play with the pros, having teed it up against men on the PGA, Nationwide and Canadian tours.

When their paths eventually collide as members of the LPGA Tour, Pressel and Wie must seize the opportunity to take command after the reign of Queen Sorenstam.

The future of women’s golf depends on it.