Jul
13
It's Michelle Wie versus everyone else at the US Amateur Public Links
Chris Baldwin’s latest blog on Michelle Wie describes her as ?flaming out.? Well, he?s partly right?she is on fire.
After beating half the field to make it to the match-play rounds, she went on to beat her first competitor, Will Claxton, of Swainsboro GA, with a birdie on the final hole. Claxton, a 2004 APL quarterfinalist, said before the round, ?I won’t be ashamed to lose to her, and I’m not afraid to play her.? Won?t be ashamed to lose to her? Way to enter a match with a positive attitude!
Baldwin isn?t the only guy out there who thinks she doesn?t belong. Danny Green, the oldest amateur on the field at age 48, with old-school sensibilities to match, complained about Wie?s presence in the field before losing his own match: “I don’t think she should be here,” said Danny. “I think she should play in the women’s tournaments because they don’t let the men play in women’s tournaments.”
Oh, I see. The US Amateur Public Links is open to men only? I thought it was open to the best amateur golfers. Silly me.
Green?s attitude didn?t seem to bother Michelle, though. Her response? “I don’t really care what they think because I actually qualified for this event. So I feel I belong here. I’m not looking for 100 percent support. I know there are going to be people against me. I’m not going to stop just for them.”
Way to be, Michelle. Way to be.
Update: Michelle Wie required all of 13 holes to close out C.D. Hockersmith and make it to the Sweet 16, and 17 holes to close out Jim Renner to make it to the quarterfinals. Keep track of the scores here.
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14 comments
Comment from: alan [Visitor]
Does Danny really want to play with the girls? Me thinks not. Does Morgan Pressel want to play with the boys? No. So why complain about Michelle doing what she wants to do. Jealousy, plain and simple.
Can Michelle win this tournament? of course she can if she plays her A game. However, there are a lot of good players at this tournament.
There has been a lot of talk lately about Michelle getting the invites to PGA events. Why don't other females get the same opportunities? Da Da Da The answer is simple.
1. She draws the crowds by the thousands, literally.
2. She has the confidence to play with the big boys, even at 15.
3. She has more game than any other woman on the planet, including Annika.
4. She has the length to compete with the guys. Most of the ladies on the LPGA simply couldn't compete because of the lack of length.
Her only weakness is lack of strength and possibly stamina. Playing out of the rough could be her achilles heel. She is only 15 after all.
Alan
Can Michelle win this tournament? of course she can if she plays her A game. However, there are a lot of good players at this tournament.
There has been a lot of talk lately about Michelle getting the invites to PGA events. Why don't other females get the same opportunities? Da Da Da The answer is simple.
1. She draws the crowds by the thousands, literally.
2. She has the confidence to play with the big boys, even at 15.
3. She has more game than any other woman on the planet, including Annika.
4. She has the length to compete with the guys. Most of the ladies on the LPGA simply couldn't compete because of the lack of length.
Her only weakness is lack of strength and possibly stamina. Playing out of the rough could be her achilles heel. She is only 15 after all.
Alan
07/13/05 @ 22:08
Comment from: John D [Visitor]
Alan, Some of what you say is true, but Wie has yet to win on tour. At least Annika has a few wins under her belt.
07/14/05 @ 06:45
Comment from: Mac Reid [Visitor]
Every sport, even golf, should have a major league. That league, and that league only, should be open the the best PLAYERS, period. There's room for women's leagues, children's leagues, seniors leagues etc etc but a MAJOR league cannot be called that if it doesn't allow the BEST players to compete. Who cares if they're black, white, male, female, or alien?
07/14/05 @ 17:26
Comment from: Candace Polski [Visitor]
6-and-5 and 3-and-1 to make it to Friday's quarterfinals. I notice the articles keep mentioning how the winner of the Publinx "usually gets an invite to the Master's" or how "every Publinx winner since 1989 has received an invite to Augusta". Is there concern that Hootie and the Boys will not extend her an invite if she wins? Seems like a lot of unspoken issues there. Do you have any insight on this, Jennifer?
07/14/05 @ 18:45
A fine question, Candace. The closest I can come to a confirmation is this quote from an AP article:
"Chairman Hootie Johnson has said the all-male club would welcome Wie or any other female who qualified."
"Chairman Hootie Johnson has said the all-male club would welcome Wie or any other female who qualified."
07/14/05 @ 20:12
Comment from: John D [Visitor]
Clay Ogden dominated from the opening tee shot and crushed Wie by a 5-and-4 margin. WAY TO GO CLAY ! ! ! !
07/16/05 @ 17:52
Comment from: Bill [Visitor]
Jennifer, Great playing with you and your husband today and a great round. Nice chip in for birdie. Once Michelle gets her first win watch out. She has the length, she has the short game but all she needs to do is close one out. Who cares if it's on the ladies tour, the men's tour, the alien's tour. She can play the game! The PGA Tour is going to change their slogan to "These Players Are Good"
07/16/05 @ 22:43
Comment from: Vernon Wong [Visitor]
Some writers proclaimed Paula Creamer a better golfer than Michelle Wie because Paula won one tournament. Wie was not in that tournament. Do you know what their records are when they played in the same LPGA tournaments? Michelle leads 7-1-1. Explain to me again how Paula is better than Michelle. Do you know how the "hype" about Michelle started? Blame Ernie Els, Freddy Couples, Jesper Parnevik, Jerry Kelly, Vijay Singh (yes, even Vijay) and most of the other pros who played in the 2002 and 2003 Sony Opens. Michelle played in the Junior/Pro exhibition both years and the pros were impressed with her swing and hitting. That is when Tom Lehman dubbed her the Big Wiesy. Johnny Miller gushed about her swing, stating it was "one of the 5 best swings in the world," at the recent Woman's Open.
07/18/05 @ 03:39
Comment from: Vernon Wong [Visitor]
I forgot to mention in my previous comment that in the 2002 and 2003 Sony Opens, Michelle was 12 and 13 years old. I was there.
07/18/05 @ 03:42
At least Annika has a few wins on tour. Duh!!! How old ws she when she first got her win. Talk about Apples and oranges. John!!! Geez!
07/18/05 @ 15:08
Comment from: John D [Visitor]
"Talk about Apples and oranges."
EXACTLY ! ! !
At least Annika had a few LPGA wins before she took on the men ! !
As I have stated before,
"If Amateurs were supposed to play in the PGA, They would have called it the P & A GA
.
07/18/05 @ 17:21
Comment from: terry [Visitor]
Michelle Go Back to High School.
Enjoy your youth, whats the rush? My suggestion is you beat up on all the HS and College gals, then the LPGA, before trying the boys out. Your not even in the top 50 women golfers in the world. Are you a publicity stunt??? No one takes you seriously.
Look at champion fillys. They dont race the boys until they beat the gals. Look at the great golfers of our time. They won as amateurs first, beat their own sex, then went up the ladder. Face it youve been beat by a 159th ranked LPGA wannabee.
Enjoy your youth, whats the rush? My suggestion is you beat up on all the HS and College gals, then the LPGA, before trying the boys out. Your not even in the top 50 women golfers in the world. Are you a publicity stunt??? No one takes you seriously.
Look at champion fillys. They dont race the boys until they beat the gals. Look at the great golfers of our time. They won as amateurs first, beat their own sex, then went up the ladder. Face it youve been beat by a 159th ranked LPGA wannabee.
07/19/05 @ 20:29
Comment from: Greg Pinelli [Visitor]
Where is it written Michelle Wie has to win an LPGA event before playing against men? Sounds a little like someone is threatened. She barely missed the John Deere cut and reached the quarters of the Publinx..so Terry....who are these High School and College golfers (women that is) who can beat Michelle? Maybe two on a very good day??
I watched her play in the US Womens Open...did she look like the 160th ranked woman?? Someone's been listening to Jim Rome on the radio and taking it too seriously.
I watched her play in the US Womens Open...did she look like the 160th ranked woman?? Someone's been listening to Jim Rome on the radio and taking it too seriously.
07/19/05 @ 22:07
Comment from: Frank [Visitor]
I like Michelle Wei. She has a beautiful swing, she's focussed, pleasant-looking, and fer gosh sakes a darn great golfer. And she's only 16! She's going to improve, if experience counts for anything.
As for her or any woman playing in the PGA, I would say no. Sure, there are some female golfers who can beat some male golfers some of the time. But, the LPGA is an exclusive club for a reason. One, the men would win everything, but (and just as important), two, the women WANT to play the game WITHOUT men. So, by the same token, men want to have a men only experience without the women.
Sure, it provides for a novel and interesting spectacle to have an Annika Sorenstam or a Michelle Wei play with the 'big boys.' Heck, I enjoyed watching it, but in the long run, as far as professional sports go, women against women, men against men -- please.
As for her or any woman playing in the PGA, I would say no. Sure, there are some female golfers who can beat some male golfers some of the time. But, the LPGA is an exclusive club for a reason. One, the men would win everything, but (and just as important), two, the women WANT to play the game WITHOUT men. So, by the same token, men want to have a men only experience without the women.
Sure, it provides for a novel and interesting spectacle to have an Annika Sorenstam or a Michelle Wei play with the 'big boys.' Heck, I enjoyed watching it, but in the long run, as far as professional sports go, women against women, men against men -- please.
10/09/05 @ 03:05
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