And 20 million reasons to keep playing....

Hmmm, I can see a new rule change coming next year. No one asked for advice from outside the ropes. Can't you just see how many people will start yelling advice to players and getting away with it? Shades of the Bmaberger rule, lol.

Angus MacKenzie was right when he said tha BJ had opened a can of worms.

While it would be unfortunate for MW to be banned for a year from LPGA competition, there should be some punishment available for her misuse of the rules. Actually, BJ should be banned from any venue his daughter plays.

What if she had a 5 foot putt for 87 on the 18th hole ? Would she WD at that point ? I suspect they were also afraid that she could be assessed a 2 stroke penalty to put her at 88 or higher. What a circus !

Comment from: Oliver Sudden [Visitor]
What if she had a 5 foot putt for 87 on the 18th hole ? Would she WD at that point ? I suspect they were also afraid that she could be assessed a 2 stroke penalty to put her at 88 or higher. What a circus !

But guess who created the circus and perpetuates it!

Quote: European Golf News & Notes
by J.B. White

"Seriously, though, I think we should all be angry at the media's selling of Wie - and her role in that transaction. I am not going to write that Michelle Wie is a joke."

And just who does he think he is? Snow White?

As long as you guys keep yammering and making the bucks off the hits and articles you spawn, the circus continues.
If you all would just refuse to write about her, the circus would die. Starve it to death bhut don't proclaim your innocence where there is none.

Let's remember that Sergio tossed a high-80s a few years back at Da Open. Although the conditions were a bit more challenging, he did rebound to become a perennial runner-up, so there is hope for MW's regaining her perennial runner-up status.

If Michelle shot 88, would the LPGA really have enforced the rule? It is a good question, Annika flaunts the rules all the time, namely the one time play in a tournament rule. I blogged about it here.

http://thefloridamasochist.blogspot.com/2007/05/knucklehead-of-day-award-part-four.html

I mean if the tour said no to Campbell, they shouldn't have made an exception for Lefty either.

http://thefloridamasochist.blogspot.com/2006/11/why-have-rule-if-it-isnt-enforced-for.html

Unless someone other than myself has called Annika out, they're unknown to me. Annika or tour stars have their own rules. Look at Mickelson at the Byron Nelson a month ago. He missed the pro-am. But the PGA let him play.

Remember Tiger Woods damaging the green at the 2005 US Open

http://thefloridamasochist.blogspot.com/2005/06/knucklehead-of-day-award_18.html

And Annika's conduct on course has been highly questionable on at least two occasions.

http://thefloridamasochist.blogspot.com/2006/06/knucklehead-of-day-award_12.html

There are clearly two sets of rules, one for the stars, and ones for everyone else. If the LPGA didn't enforce the 88 rule, it would come as no surprise to me.

Cheers,

Bill

Oops I got my links and post in the wrong order. LOL

Bill

The LPGA could have ruled at the time that the rule did not apply to a player like Michelle Wie cinubg back from an injury. Obviously they did not do so. They may let Annika flout the rules to some extent, but (1) The studio(LPGA) still has her under contract so to speak and she mostly follows their rules, playing at least theminimum number of events, etc., and (2) She has paid her dues in the sense that she has earned lots of money for the studio while under contract.

By contrast, Michelle Wie is a threat to the entire studio system where players careers are owned by the LPGA. Although the LPGA would love to have the drawing power of Michelle Wie--they would prefer it if their hostility to Michelle Wie would destroy her confidence, serving notice to any other golfers who might ever want to challenge the right of the LPGA to control the destinies of the best women golfers.

Jim C,

It sounds like a good opportunity for Bubbles to file a personal damages suit.

But she'll have to wait until after the 2008 Presidential primaries to engage the services of John Edwards.

Try this on for size.

Dana Gross Rhode began her interview with Lorena Ochoa, at least as it is recorded on the LPGA site as follows:

Lorena you had a great round, a great tournament,you've got to be tired but a 73, that's only a couple of shots off the low round today, a 70.

If players who shoot 88 or worse can face a one year ban, then perhaps in a sports where numbers are as important as they are in golf, an interviewer should also face a one year ban if she cannot tell the difference between a 3 and a 4. Lorena in fact shot a 74 on Sunday.

Maybe the LPGA could replace Dana with the woman from the Golf Channel who interviewed Kerr Sunday, saying Kerr finished in a tie for 3rd, and then instead of admitting her mistake openly, covered it up with the ridiculous claim that Kerr finished in a solo tie for 3rd. In fact Kerr finshed 3rd with no tie at all involved.

Jim C,

No you're being evasive AND silly.

How's about you confirm or deny your prediction.

Will Bubbles win the LPGA as you have said many times, or won't she?

No one gives a rodent's rectum about the mistakes of announcers.

It all begs a larger question:

What will the title of Ms. Mario's next book be?

Answer:

"How to Make Six Figures Without Even Trying", co-authored by champion Michelle Wie.

I can't take credit for the title. It came from Ms. Mario's own website. Honest.

2under,

Since Jim C seems to be dodgiing my question, I won't badger him any more.

When Bubbles first came up with the first of her debilitating wrist "injuries",I didn't give it much thought. After all, I mused, these things do happen.

The second wrist "injury" was a trifle more suspicious, since it was first reported to have occirred in Hawaii, but changed to Palo Alto when the timeline didn't coincide with her whereabouts. But could it have been serious enough to warrant a four-month layoff? Trying to be reasonable, most people figured that her handlers wanred to make sure that there would be no aggravation of the "injury."

Everything appeared to be all right with her wrists at the Ginn Tribute UNTIL her William Morris agent told her of the rule of "88".

Then suddenly out of the blue her "injury" became so acutely painful that she couldn't complete the final two holes of her round and she withdrew with the terse pronouncement, "WE aren't playing anymore." Just who "WE" are has not as yet been ascertained.

My first thought was that this young woman must be the most injury-prone on the planet. I mean, she didn't fall off the roof of a three-story house while tuck-pointing a chimney. And she wasn't struck by a speeding Greyhound bus while attempting to cross the interstate.

Perhaps her agents were angling to have Bubbles become the poster girl for some dreaded malady such as "Adolescent Osteoporosis."

But today, all such fears have been assuaged. On the sport pages of the Chicago Tribune, the good news has been posted. Bubbles is back! Yesterday she played in the pro-am at the LPGA championships, although no mention was made as to how well she played or the number of holes completed.

In any event, that has got to be one hell of a remarkable recovery. In less that four days, Bubbles went from severe pain where "WE" couldn't continue, to playing without the help of crutches or any type of prosthesis. Her agent was guardedly optimistic that there was a "good chance" that Bubbles would tee it up on Thursday.

He was careful not to say how many holes she would play.

Semper Fi, Alex

Alex,

Before we go any further, you are going to have to indulge me and tell me why it is that you refer to Ms. Wie as "Bubbles". I rejoined the site after a long hiatus, so forgive me.

Here's my take: The Wiebots are the ones who ruined her. The teen psyche is fragile, and I personally think they have put so much pressure on her, and set so many unrealistic expectations, that it would be impossible to fulfill. In addition, she makes it worse on herself, commenting that she wants to beat Tiger Woods.

Now I think she has immense talent. But you know as well as I that the mental side of the game is HUGE. My game, tee to green, is a plus five. My putting and short game is reminiscent of about a 10. No kidding. So I shoot @ par, sometimes a little better, despite being a complete head case on the shortgrass. My buddies make me putt out from 1 1/2 feet, and laugh the whole freakin' time.

I can't imagine what that pressure would be like if I had the likes of Ms. Mario writing a book labeling me a "champion" prematurely, and I had the Wiebots on this site coronating me prematurely.

Thankfully, the one thing going for Ms. Wie is the fact that not many people watch the LPGA. But she makes her own bed when she tries to make the cut at the PGA. Tim Finchem needs to put a stop to the circus sideshow. If he wants one, he can give me a call. I'll be happy to post an 88 on a tour event, having had hit 14 of 18 in reg, with a bunch of 3 putts, and some 4 putts thrown in for good measure.

Semper Fi.

2under,

Bubbles seemed an appropriate name for a teenybopper who gushed ecstatic over her "sparkly" watch and other baubles.

Got it. Bubbles it is.

Alex,
Maybe it was "Wie aren't playing anymore". Also, as I have stated before, I am sceptical there ever was an injury. As far as the Ginn as you pointed out that wrist started to really hurt after her idiot agent told her about the 88 rule. In an odd way Tiger Woods is to blame for this fiasco because after IMG hit the jackpot with Woods the agents have been trying to sign the "next" Tiger. So far they've lost their ass on Ty Tryon and Michelle plus others like Hank Kuenhe and Casey Wittenburg and all the others that put Cleveland Ohio for their address.

I read Dot Wong's link. The rule was not designed to penalize players who shoot one really bad round--it was designed to penalize such players if they refuse to withdraw and stop slowing everyone down. So, in fact, it was Michelle Wie who showed prper respect for her playing partners by withdrawing, and not Macinzie Kline who put her playing partners throughn 35 holes where she shot 28 iver par before her unfortunate triple on the last hole Friday. But no one seems to have been aware of that fact. Annika should be asking Kline to apologize, not Wie--and in fact, Annika is the one who owes Wie an apokogy for criticizing her fro following proper LPGA ettiquette.

Jim,

What are you smokin'? Poor sportmanship should garner respect? Are you nuts?

I have played alongside people who have shot 100, and played at a quicker pace then those who post a 67.

The point is Ms. Kline, despite her high score, saw the game for what it was : an opportunity to play on a higher level. She reveled in the experience.

Ms. Wie, on the other hand, WD. We can question her motive for doing so, but it seems clear that if the injury was so debilitating that it caused her to WD, she shouldn't be playing in the LPGA. So, in essence, you believe that acting like a spoiled child should be commended. That is just plain stupid.

Your argument is ridiculous, ignorant and without any merit whatsoever. Please don't post anything as ridiculous as this again. I feel less intelligent just for having read it.

Yes, 2under, one does run the risk of destroying some brain cells when imbibing Jim's rambling drivel.