South Africa's version of Michelle Wie turns pro and corporate hacks gobble her up like barracudas

Ashleigh Simon is a young, female golfer in South Africa who just announced she is turning pro. Almost in the same sentence, she announced she is signing with IMG, a professional sports management agency, Nike and Golf Digest ("exclusive media partner"). And, oh yeah, something called SuperSport, too. All proud partners.

This is what it’s like to turn pro these days. It’s all about branding, about corporate sponsorship, about exploiting your natural talent for maximum profit. Hey, I’m not griping, that’s just the way the world is.

“We are thrilled,” said IMG.

“We are immensely proud,” said another IMG guy.

“We are delighted,” said yet ANOTHER IMG person.

I just happened to play golf with her once. She’s about 5-foot-2 and hits the ball a mile, for a girl. She was a little sulky on the day I played with her – she had just come from a grueling tournament and wasn’t happy with all the tips her father was trying to give her. She seemed like a typical, nice teenager.

Simon had an unbelievable amateur career, breaking almost every amateur record in the country, which is a golfing hotbed. She won the Ladies South African Open, the only amateur to do so.

I wish her luck. She could make a splash in this country. And I am immensely proud, thrilled and delighted to announce that I am hereby naming myself her ultra-exclusive, proud, positively-beaming, pulsating, and just plain trembling-with-unbelievable-ecstasy blogging partner.