People have their priorities so out of whack. Sure Michelle Wie withdrew for the second time in three tournaments at the U.S. Women’s Open today. Sure somewhere near a Hooters, John Daly is admiring this 17-year-old’s ability to come up with stories on why she has to leave events early. (And Wie hasn’t even had to pull the knife card yet!) Sure Wie’s personal wrist massage therapist probably just landed herself a lifetime contract. But does any of this really matter in the big scheme of it all? Not when you consider this probable truth: Michelle Wie has an iPhone and you ... full post »

Michelle Wie shot an 11-over 82 in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open today. The good news is she’s still breaking 90. Seriously, if Wie is at Pine Needles to continue her education as a pro - one that she all but completely missed out in her first five plus years in pro golf events - good for her. This 17-year-old showed her first sign of some guts back at the LPGA Championship, battling around the course even though her swing was shaky and her confidence shakier. If that’s what this U.S. Women’s Open week is about to Team ... full post »

There’s a chorus calling Lorena Ochoa the favorite at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles. Which is sort of funny considering that Ochoa is 0-for-22 in majors and that her failings in the biggest events are in her head as much as they were in Phil Mickelson’s before Lefty finally took that white man’s leap on Augusta’s 18th green. Still there’s little doubt about one thing when it comes to Ochoa. The No. 1 ranked player in women’s golf suffers from dominating while Mexican. As I reported at the LPGA Championship, Ochoa did not even have a golf club deal. ... full post »

Pamela Anderson - the busty bikini filler from Baywatch fame - is in a Las Vegas show. Only Anderson isn’t the star. Or the co-star. She’s the magician’s assistant. That’s right, the object of so many junior high schoolers’ fantasies over the years, one of the richest TV actressess of all time, is toiling as an assistant for one of those guys who was surely a dork in junior high. Not to mention today. Hans Klok - who touts himself as “the world’s fastest magician” and has one of those haircuts that only a magician could have - convinced Anderson to be his ... full post »

Johnny Miller is usually one of the better announcers in TV sports. Usually. Not during the U.S. Open at Oakmont though. The Johnny Miller who said Craig Parry’s swing “would make Ben Hogan puke” is great. The Johnny Miller who blasted the U.S. Ryder Cup team even as his comments were being piped into the American locker room is hilarious. That’s not the Johnny Miller we got at Oakmont though. Instead Miller turned into a self genuflecting tool. How many times did he reference his 63 at Oakmont? If the college kids played a drinking game on that one, they would have ... full post »

Much of what you need to know about Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson can be found in the very different ways they handled the birth of a child. Mickelson turned one of his kids’ births into a media event, making sure everybody knew about his beeper vigil at the 1999 U.S. Open. Mickelson couldn’t have played the Mr. Mom role up better for all those fawning sponsors to see if he brought in Michael Keaton. The only surprise was that Mickelson didn’t invite Katie Couric to report live from the delivery room. Tiger, on the other hand, couldn’t have handled the birth ... full post »

Tiger Woods didn’t come from behind to win the U.S. Open at Oakmont. And you know what this means towards his legacy? You know what it proves about Tiger as a closer? Absolutely nothing. Anyone who tries to equate the fact that Woods has not come from behind on the last day to win any of his 12 majors with some internal Tiger failing is more messed up than Lindsay Lohan and Mel Gibson put together. Yes, Tiger finished second for the second straight major. Yes, he didn’t pull off the final round push for the second straight major. That happens to ... full post »

There will be no bigger Tiger Woods fans this afternoon than the blue blazer-wearing leaders of the United States Golf Association. The USGA needs Woods to win so they can dismiss any truth talk about how they hoisted another ridiculous U.S. Open setup on the American public. Oakmont is as much of a joke as Phil Mickelson says it is. Only if Woods turns back the no-names and soon-to-be-forgottens, the USGA knows it’s assured of another free pass. Then the blue blazers can point to the fact that the greatest golfer in history won their event, so it must be that “true ... full post »

Sergio Garcia proved once again at Oakmont why he’s the most overrated player and overblown story of the Tiger Woods era. The 27-year-old Spaniard with the guts of Mini Mouse found the famed Church Pew bunkers three times in the first round of the U.S. Open alone on the way to an oh-so-predictable Sergio nine-over 79. If the going’s tough, you can be sure Garcia is going to be hiding in pants that are yellow - one way or the other. Sergio could have spent three weeks in an actual church pew before the U.S. Open and it wouldn’t have made ... full post »

In retrospect, Michelle Wie’s 21-over at the LPGA Championship was better than anyone thought. And I thought it was pretty good in terms of her finally showing toughness and professionalism. It turns out a much worse finish was hoisted onto the American public Sunday night. That would be The Sopranos series finale when creator David Chase went with the ultimate black screen copout. Look I’m all for artistic freedom and taking a chance. I know what it’s like to try to produce something for heartless critics (see my Castle Baron Boss Mark Nessmith - if you can find him when his ... full post »

HARVE DE GRACE, Md. (June 10, 2007) - Before Suzann Pettersen grabbed the LPGA Championship trophy with a display of percise power drives that will leave her peers a little shaken, Nick Faldo seemed to be leaning toward Morgan Pressel. Faldo - one of the most ruthless golfers in history - enjoyed some of Pressel’s intimidation tactics on the range, felt she talked like a champion and even went as far as comparing her to Tiger Woods. In demeanor. Not pure skill level. “Pressel is one determined girl,” Faldo said. “She reminds me a little of Tiger Woods in her attitude. “Listening to ... full post »

HARVE DE GRACE, Md. (June 10, 2007) - Shortly after 8 a.m. this morning, Michelle Wie stood on the first tee, having abandoned any thoughts of withdrawing from the LPGA Championship. And that alone shows that Wie is learning something about being a pro. Wie didn’t quit. She didn’t leave a playing partner (in this case Laura Diaz) to golf alone in the final round of a major, which the pros will tell you throws off your rhythm. Instead Wie shot a 7-over 79, actually put her 21-over for the tournament into the record books for all time. Wie finished last ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (June 9, 2007) - Morgan Pressel would stare at the leaderboard and then give it another stare. She couldn’t figure it out. Who was that name on top, the one with a 7-under 65 on an afternoon turned into evening when the winds tormented the pros in the LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock? Afterwards, Pressel admitted she hadn’t even heard Na On Min’s name before. It rang no bells and why should it? On Min is one of those fringe players in golf, who struggle to qualify for events. This 18-year-old non-exempt rookie isn’t even an afterthought. She’s ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (June 9, 2007) - Michelle Wie shot an 11-over 83 as Bulle Rock turned into her personal houses of bogeys today. When it was over, after the score seemed to stun even a few pros who came in after Wie’s group and asked how she did, Wie said she will consider withdrawing Sunday before the fourth round of the LPGA Championship. With her left wrist already wrapped in ice, Wie sounded like she was setting the stage for her second straight withdrawal. “It’s not doing so well,” Wie said of the most controversial wrist in sports history. “We’ll ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE (June 8, 2007) Somewhere within range of this sleepy area 40 minutes from Baltimore, Team Wie is jumping around. Or celebrating somehow. For Michelle Wie just made the cut in the LPGA Championship by the slimmest margin possible. Wie - and all the other players at 3 over who nobody (besides their families of course) sweated over - needed the last player putting in the last group on the course at Bulle Rock this evening (no name Karen Davies) to bogey 18 to make her score the magic number. Bogey delivered, Wie plays on and the weekend here ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE (June 8, 2007) - While the golf press corps at the LPGA Championship sits in the press room writing Michelle Wie stories and the rest of Western Civilization cries with Paris Hilton, Annika Sorenstam is making a run at Bulle Rock. Sorenstam shot a 3 under 33 on the front nine of her second round, moving 5 under for the tournament where she’s not supposed to have a chance. She went to the turn off a tough birdie putt on 18 (her ninth hole) that drew arguably the loudest cheer of the day from the gallery. And Annika ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE (June 8, 2007) - Michelle Wie can breathe a little easier during her cutline vigil - the first time she’s been sweating out an LPGA cut since was 13 and truly still young. Wie’s three over after 36 holes is starting to looking like the number, though she’s still anything but a complete certainty. It’s a pretty sure bet that Wie’s ever present William Morris manager Greg Nared is taping away on his Blackberry, following the rounds of the other also rans at the LPGA Championship this afternoon. That image is almost sort of funny. But you have to ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE (June 8, 2007) - Michelle Wie is going to have one of those afternoons and early evenings, Team Wie no doubt assumed she’d never have at a major championship (especially a women’s major championship). The LPGA is just something Wie does in her spare time after all, between challenging the men and changing the world. But now Wie and her entourage wait and hope for the Bulle Rock course to toughen up and move the cut line down at least one from 2 over to 3 over where she sits. Wie had it all in her grasp and ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (June 7, 2007) - It’s obvious how much Morgan Pressel hates to be overshadowed by Michelle Wie - even when Pressel’s smiling through an answer. Pressel’s annoyance at it is understandable - she’s the much more accomplished golfer, the better golfer, the youngest majors winner in LPGA history. Pressel was so overshadowed by Wie today in the first round of the LPGA Championship that a solar eclipse couldn’t have left Morgan more in the dark. Still Pressel is five shots ahead of Wie and more importantly only one off the lead, at 4 under. This is a ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (June 7, 2007) - Michelle Wie continues to be the national story of the LPGA Championship. But Laura Davies is the story so far. The 43-old-year big Brit who won her last major in 1996 is just one shot back of the leaders heading into the second round of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock. Davies had one of the wildest first rounds with seven birdies and three bogeys. Say this for Davies: She still knows how to keep it interesting. You cannot help but root for someone who doesn’t fit the LPGA Tour’s new age sleek, ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (June 7, 2007) - Michelle Wie didn’t take the driver out of her bag once in 18 holes. She missed plenty of fairways, frequently dancing on the edge of very big trouble. She had most of the sports world watching women’s golf for the first time in a long time. She had many of the her LPGA peers waiting and no doubt hoping for her to fail. And she still managed a 1-over 73 in the first round of the LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock. That’s an impressive round under these circumstances, under this pressure, and you don’t ... full post »

HERVE DE GRACE, Md. (June 7, 2007) - Michelle Wie birdied the first hole of her back nine, continuing a run of three birdies in four holes to get to 1 over in the first round of the LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock. At one point today, Wie stood 4 over, muttering to herself, but now the large gallery following her is buzzing rather than cringing at wayward drives. Virtually no one is noticing how Laura Davies - the old school Michelle Wie defender - is actually making a run at the leaders, moving to three under at this point. full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. - Michelle Wie made the turn at 2 over in the first round of the LPGA Championship, rallying with two birdies in the last three holes of her front nine. Wie gave a mini Tiger Woods fist pump after sinking a long putt on 18 (her ninth hole of the day). She smiled and joked with her caddie in a noticeably better mood than she’d been a few holes ago. The most adventurous hole of her front nine came on the 15 when she recorded a double bogey seven and called over a rules official to politely ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. - Laura Davies is quickly turning into one of Michelle Wie’s biggest defenders on the LPGA Tour. With everyone from Annika Sorenstam to now Nicole Castrale (who barely knows who she is herself) ripping on Wie for a lack of respect, a 22-year veteran of professional golf defends the 17-year-old’s LPGA-assisted withdrawal from the Ginn Tribute. “The course was an unfair course in its setup,” Davies said of Rivertown Country Club track where the Ginn was held last week. “Especially if you’re coming back from an injury. It’s not like she’s shooting 88 every week. It was ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. - Paula Creamer wants wind and lots of it in this week’s LPGA Championship. And not just the kind coming out of Michelle Wie apologists. When Pete Dye’s Bulle Rock course is windy, it rackets up the difficulty level. Particularly on the long severe dogleg par 4 13th and the downhill par 4 14th. Creamer believes this plays into her game - and the games of other mentally tough players. “Of course, I want more wind,” Creamer said on a breezy but hardly bracing tournament’s eve. “You want it to play like a major. It’s supposed to be ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. - When Annika Sorenstam finally spoke up against the madness that Michelle Wie has become, you can be sure many of her peers cheered the move on. Which doesn’t mean many of them are willing to take the same step. There’s a big difference between the power of Annika and the scores of players who toil in the shadows week after week. Players without Annika or even Paula Creamer’s clout are hesitant to criticize the 17-year-old who already has LPGA Tour officials in the palm of her hand. (See Ginn Tribute, withdrawal). Even a middling veteran like Michele Redman, ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. - Michelle Wie now wants everyone to know about her wrist injury. Wie opened her press conference at the LPGA Championship this afternoon with an unprompted, long-winded explanation of her actions at the Ginn Tribute. Wie says that she actually tweaked her wrist on the 10th hole and should have withdrawn then. As the free world now knows, Wie didn’t quit until she was on her 17th tee (the eighth on the course), 14 over par, two bogeys from having the 88 rule and a LPGA Tour-year ban go into effect. “I should have stopped playing when I ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD. - Michelle Wie was called into the LPGA’s version of the principal’s office. At least figuratively. LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens talked to Wie and her Nike manager Greg Nared in a closed conference chat today at the LPGA Championship. Part of the talk centered on Wie’s conduct in her pro-am round Monday. At least one of Wie’s pro-am partners complained about the way the teenager treated her pro-am group during the round. It’s not known whether Bivens and Wie also got into a discussion over Wie’s ever-increasingly-controversial withdrawal from the Ginn Tribute last Thursday with the 88 ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD. - Taking the microphone moments ago in her McDonald’s LPGA Championship press conference, Annika Sorenstam laid into Michelle Wie for the teen drawing card’s highly controversial withdrawal from the Ginn Tribute. “I just feel there’s a little bit of lack of respect and class to just leave a tournament like that,” Sorenstam said, pulling no punches in a half filled interview room. “Especially being the hostess, it just seems really weird.” This is the first time the preeminent player in women’s golf for the last decade has criticized Wie publicly. Whether you think Team Wie’s decision to ... full post »

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD. - Laura Davies has seen it all in her 22 years in professional golf. And last week at the Ginn Tribute, the four-time major winner believes she saw Michelle Wie withdraw after 16 holes when Wie was healthy enough to finish the round. “She obviously wasn’t injured to the point where she couldn’t keep playing,” Davies told WorldGolf.com in an exclusive interview after her pro-am round at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship Tuesday. “She withdrew because she was getting close to not being allowed to play the rest of the year as I understand it. I think that decision ... full post »

There is no one happier in golf that Michelle Wie introduced the world to the 88 rule than PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. Just days after my column on regular golfers being put off by the PGA Tour’s slow-footed resistance to drug testing went up, World Anti-Doping Chairman Dick Pound went off on Finchem’s delaying in a Sports Illustrated column. Pound argues that the golf is in danger of being perceived like all the other sports that have been tainted by steroids. If you talk to average golfers - the PGA Tour’s fans - you’ll see it’s already happening. Only Finchem gets to ... full post »