It's time to stop congratulating Michelle Wie for acting like a professional at U.S. Women's Open

EDINA, Minn. (June 28, 2008) - Michelle Wie is a professional golfer. She’s an adult, old enough for Dick Cheney to send her to war (if rich kids ever went to war). Everyone might want to remember these facts as they madly congratulate Wie for acting like a pro.

Yes, Michelle Wie got up early on this Saturday morning and came back to the course in the Minneapolis suburbs to play one hole and finish her second round even though she had no chance of making the cut. Yes, she didn’t withdraw. And so?

A number of other players with no chance of making the cut came back to finish their second rounds too. That’s part of being a pro. In fact, it’s such an elementary part of it that making a big deal out of it would be like congratulating Allen Iverson for attending one practice. If you’re a golfer, you finish your round. Rain postponed or not. Why are none of the other golfers who came back this morning to play a few holes, knowing that would be it for them too, being given mad props?

Because it’s no big deal. It’s standard. It’s expected.

Yet, we have guys like TravelGolf.com’s own Tim McDonald and the Palm Beach Post’s Craig Dolch going gaga over Wie finishing.

Frankly, it’s not only insulting to the other pros, it’s insulting to Michelle Wie. And she should take it as such. This conjecture over her possibly withdrawing rather than coming back to the course for one hole was ridiculous. There was never any doubt she’d show.

Wie showed more than a year ago that she was taking the first baby steps towards acting like a professional. I wrote a whole column from the 2007 LPGA Championship on how Wie’s father stopped her from blowing off autograph seekers. That was a turning point for Wie and she’s largely acted nothing but professional since.

She always does interviews now (even after 81s), always signs. Wie deserved even more ridicule than she got for walking out on Annika Sorenstam’s tournament with the 88 rule staring her in face. And for the withdrawals after that. But that was a significant time ago now. She’s shown a different commitment.

Michelle Wie is a pro.

She’s just not a very good one as far as golf results. The stories should be about her performances. Not backhanded compliments on doing what she’s been doing for a year.

It’s not news when a pro acts like a pro.