Michelle finished her round today with a 70, one under par. That puts her ahead of more than half of the 154-player pack for the moment. Not bad for a 15-year-old girl. Not bad for a 30-year-old PGA pro, actually.

Quite a bit has been said and written about Michelle Wie’s appearance in this weekend’s tournament. Should she have been invited? Does she belong? Will she make the cut? Kiel Christianson comments on some of these issues in his latest blog.

But no one has asked the really important question: what should she wear?

If you watch both the PGA and the LPGA, you may have noticed that there’s a bit of a discrepancy when it comes to dress codes. The PGA requires collared shirts and long dress slacks. The LPGA requires, well, nothing much. According to their guidelines, “denim, cut-offs, workout clothes are not allowed,” but pretty much anything else goes.

I found myself in an interesting conversation with my dad a few weeks ago, trying to explain the concept of a “wife-beater” as we watched the U.S. Women’s Open and I casually commented on Karine Icher’s choice of golfwear.

It was only a few years ago that PGA caddies were allowed to start wearing shorts, and even then only if they follow certain guidelines (no cargo shorts), and only if the heat index is high. When it was suggested that PGA players should be allowed to follow suit, most of them said no, they prefer to maintain a professional image. I appreciate the concept of “freedom of expression” in golfwear, however I really wish LPGA players would try to maintain their professional image the way the guys do. I see more untucked T-shirts in televised LPGA events than I do on a Saturday at my local muni. Okay, long pants are awfully hot, yes, but hey, skirts look just as professional and are just as cool and comfortable as shorts.

This is Michelle’s third time playing in a PGA event, and in her two previous go-rounds she played in long pants, like the guys. When Annika played in the Bank of America Colonial two years ago, she also donned long slacks. So it would appear that the ladies have decided not to buck PGA guidelines when it comes to their dress. As it should be when they’re playing in PGA events. But one has to wonder: how long before the PGA okays skirts?

Check out the live leaderboard for the John Deere Classic here.

Michelle Wie in Wednesday’s pro-am.

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