Michelle Wie should ask herself: What would Tiger do?
TravelGolf has broken all the rules of golf-writing the last few days by not mentioning?not once all week?Tiger Woods.
Well, I guess if nobody?s gonna do it, I?d better step up.
Lucky for me, Tiger just made it very easy by weighing in on a topic dear to my heart: sponsor exemptions for Michelle Wie.
With Michelle’s poor Sunday performance at the U.S. Women’s Open, the question has come up yet again, this time in dueling columns on ESPN.com. On the one hand, Bob Harig says she should ?learn how to win? by returning to junior tournaments (which she hasn?t played in years), mopping the floor with the underage crowd. On the other hand, responds Mark Kreidler, her age shouldn?t be held against her, and she should be free to tee it up with the highest level of competition out there, whether it?s a publicity stunt or not.
When faced with such a dilemma, I find that the wisest course is to ask myself, WWTD: ?What would Tiger do??
In this situation, Tiger says let the girl play. When asked about Michelle?s invitation to play in the John Deere Classic next weekend, he responded: ?Well, if the sponsors want to get a crowd, that?s why they do. I got an exemption when I was 16, too.?
Somewhere, Danny Noonan answered, “great grammar.”
So does she have a chance?
Michelle will indeed have a decent chance at making the cut at The John Deere, largely because its timing, the week before the British Open, means it generally gets passed over by the biggest PGA talent. None of the “big five” plan to play this year.
The tournament?s directors, clearly a business-savvy bunch, recognize Michelle?s potential to bring in more viewers. Director Clair Peterson said, ?We expect there would be spectators here who might not come out otherwise. She may be one of those players that has interest across all kinds of different demographic lines.? That?s right. And count me as one of those ?spectators who might not come out otherwise.?
About appearing in The John Deere, Michelle said, ?When I go out and play in a PGA Tour event, I don?t go there to win now but to learn from the best. The more PGA Tour events I play, the better my chance of making the cut and eventually becoming the first female member of the PGA Tour.?
The key word being ?now.? I?m guessing in a few years she won?t be settling for a mere practice session.
| « Michelle Wie faces big choices in the John Deere Classic | Annika Sorenstam says: "Six strokes is nothing" » |
10 comments
P.S. I agree: Great Noonan reference, Jennifer!
Nancy Lopez should be doing her best to find a way to open the Solheim Cup to amateurs so Wie could play--but instead she insists on acting like the president of the Anaka Sorenstam fan club. If she wished to make the comments she did about Michelle and Anaka, she should have first resigned as captain of a team that should be dedicated to beating Anaka instead of praising her.
Now here is where the Jr. Solheim Cup comes in. Wie could be an American patriot playing for the US. She would show she is not afraid of playing in Junior events, when there is a good reason. Finally, she would be a part of the warm-up act for the Solheim Cup. It would be impossible not to notice who is not representing the US in the Solheim Cup.
Based on that, once you qualify for the senior?s tour you would no longer be able to play on the PGA Tour, you should also disqualify amateurs, as again PGA Tour player are no longer able to play amateur events.
The PGA Tour is for the best of the best, not for the best white men. Remember it was not that longer ago when they were going to sever Collard Greens at the Masters! If a player qualifies for an event, it should not matter if they are white or black, young or old, male or female. Too many male athletes think that they are some how better then non male athletes. They could not be more mistaken; maybe they are just afraid of coming up a Wie short.
I am a 44 year old white male who looks forward to the day that Micelle Wie holds a PGA trophy over HER head. No, I do not think she will win a major, but what about the weekend before when all of the big guns take the week off? Bill Hein-WPB, FL
Dear Golf Central,
I have been doing some research on Michelle Wie?s 2005 season and have come up with such amazing numbers I cannot believe the LPGA or the news media has not commented more on it.
Her season holds only eight (8) events:
Michelle Wie on the 2005 LPGA Tour
? Feb. 24-26: SBS Open at Turtle Bay, Honolulu
? March 17-20: Safeway International, Superstition Mountain, Ariz.
? March 24-27: Kraft Nabisco Championship, Rancho Mirage, Calif.
? June 9-12: LPGA Championship, Havre de Grace, Maryland
? June 23-26: U.S. Women's Open, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
? July 20-23: Evian Masters, Evian-les-Bains, France
? July 28-31: Women's British Open, Royal Birkdale, Southport, Merceyside, England
? Oct. 13-16: Samsung World Championship, Palm Desert, Calif.
By looking through the final rounds of each of her played tournaments I found:
1. She has not missed a cut
2. Her best finishes are 3 ties for 2nd
3. Her worst finish a tie for 23rd in the U.S. Women?s Open after being in the final pairing on the final day
4. If she would have been a playing professional:
a. She would be seventh (7th ) on the money list at $686,411.00 in earnings, between Candi Kung and Gloria Park
b. She played only seven (7) tournaments compared to Candi Kung?s eighteen (18) and Gloria Park?s (21)
5. I have read articles preaching about Michelle turning pro or staying an amateur. I have read of other players questioning whether she belongs on the tour. The bottom line is, anyone who questions or disses this young woman is plan jealous and/or rightfully scared.
6. There should be seven women on the LPGA tour who should be happy that Michelle was an amateur, for they received her winnings, all 686,411 dollars worth!
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