Webcast allows LPGA fans a glimpse behind the scenes at the Michelob Ultra Open
With Mother’s Day coinciding with what is commonly referred to as the LPGA’s fifth major, most viewers will have a rough time catching all of the action on ESPN2. My mom takes center stage on Sunday and the day prior just happens to be my sister’s birthday so my golf viewing will be limited to glimpses here and there or skimming through mounds of VCR tape.
But lo and behold, the “powers that be” must have read my mind because live supplemental coverage is now being offered at the Michelob Ultra Open website!
From the exclusive pro-am party to interviews with the athletes, the webcast will offer an insiders look into an event in which (for the first time its history) the top fifty LPGA golfers from the 2005 money list plan to attend. I wonder if the “Fairways and Runways Fashion Show” will be shown as well?
Technology is also now spilling directly onto the golf course as tournament guests can also rent myLEADERBOARD gizmos to enhance their experience. While following Natalie Gulbis, for example, you can also find out if Morgan Pressel made that round-saving putt to stay in contention. Or say if you’re hungry, this miniature palm-pilot-esque device will also give you directions to the closest consession stand.
Cristie Kerr will be defending her Waterford Crystal trophy. Donald Trump’s off-course friend and partner in the fight against breast cancer hopes to claim back-to-back victories after last week’s exciting Franklin Mortgage Championship finale. Lorena Ochoa added yet another second-place to her statistics last week and has a great chance of walking off with the $330,000 winner’s check.
Of course there is always Annika Sorenstam to consider. Although her putter has been cold as of late and her shots have not hit their marks as consistently as she would have liked, Annika the Swede is still grinding it out and has every intention of matching those ten LPGA victories she claimed last season.
And I’m sure you’re all wondering where Michelle Wie is in all of this? Although tournament officials invited her, Wie declined. Perhaps she’s too busy trying to make the cut at the U.S. Open! Without “the Big Wiesy” in the mix, up-and-coming superstars like Morgan Pressel and Ai Miyazato should receive plenty of camera time.
17 comments
Michelle has already expressed a desire to play in more LPGA events than the maxinum of 6 but the LPGA Tour has already denied her request to add one additional ladies' event (the Fields Open in Hawaii) to her schedule.
1. The age limit for membership is 18, but she's 16 years old. She could ask for a special waiver, but the youngest person to be ever granted a special waiver was 17 years old. In fact, when Morgan Pressel first asked for a special waiver at age 17 she was turned down, though that decision was later rescinded to let Pressel play as a full-time member just three months shy of her 18th birthday.
2. Michelle's still a full-time high school student and she has her heart set on earning a high school diploma and gaining admission to Stanford.
Another opportunity lost to petty jealousy, catty "spit-fights" and just plain mean spirited old fogies telling her she went about her career all wrong so we don't want you. (Dottie Pepper, Nancy Lopez and the rest of the mustached old ladies)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/rick_arnett/05/09/inside.golf/
For Michelob, that should turn into a lot of hits for their site and for the tournament. I wonder how much it will affect the LPGA site hits? And will this be the start of something new for the LPGA and the PGA?
She is so immensly popular with the younger generation and that is where the LPGA must grow their organization from. Not from the older guard that figure they know best. This impatient younger generation really don't care, just let them at the game. And there are so many youngsters coming out of jr high and Senior high school who can jump right into the game and become contenders now. Most of whom have never competed in the amateurs to any extent.
The Michelob is an interesting tournament, just too bad that a goofy rule is keeping a contender out.
You do realize that she's only allowed to play 6 events excluded the US women's open and british right?
It's not her fault she had to turn down the invite. She wanted to play in the more "elite" tournaments that were the HSBC matchplay and also the Samsung.
HELL SHE EVEN REJECTED THE LPGA'S SEASON OPENER AT TURTLE BAY RESORT IN HAWAII, BECAUSE SHE HAD TO USE HER INVITE WISELY.
LPGA TOURNEY EXEMPTIONS LIST FOR '06:
-Fields Open
-Kraft Nabisco Championship (major)
-McDonald's LPGA Championship (major)
-HSBC Wolrd Matchplay
-Evian Masters
-Samsung World Championships
These tournaments are also "elite"...and in my opinion, I think that these tournaments are much better than the michelob...
Just telling you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I don't think it's solely because of Michelle Wie but her fame sure does help!
For whatever the reason more women are starting to play golf and that's terrific!
I don't think it's solely because of Michelle Wie but her fame sure does help!
2006-05-11 @ 09:40
I think you are correct. Some of it is Michelle but also some of it is Paula Creamer and her teriffic performance at the Solheim. Her rookie season accomplishments didn't hurt either, lol
But the continuing attention on Michelle Wie is keeping golf for Girls and women in the news and in the minds of those new recruits to golfing.
None of which is a bad thing, lol.
Now if we could just get Morgan to tame her errant mouth, things would be a lot smoother. Pettiness is not becoming on the young lady.
I saw this on a db this morning:
Morgans problem is she suffers from PMS and ESP which makes her a bitchy know it all.
And to Wolfgang, if MW has to use her invites wisely for now, so be it. Either the LPGA will one day wake up and realize what they should be doing to grow their organization or their growth may be stunted eternally.
"A little bit disappointed with the putter, hitting good shots, driving it well, bouncing the fairways. One of those months or one of these years I really just want to forget about it."
'nuff said....
For whatever the reason more women are starting to play golf and that's terrific!
I don't think it's solely because of Michelle Wie but her fame sure does help!
2006-05-11 @ 09:40
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But you have to admit maybe 90% is from Wie effect. I mean, there were good, young women players in the past, but did they stir interest among women ? I thought golf was the most boring thing and thought only 60 year old retired should play. Until I saw Wie.
I wandered over to a mom that was with them and asked when those kids had started hitting like that. She said all those kids talk about is MW and how much they want to be able to golf like her. She said it was costing them a fortune in lessons and such but she said if the girls were happy, then so was she. I liked her attitude.
Kinda tells us a lot about how the kids see her.
I asked my 15 year old grandson what he thought of MW. Of course he was all over the good looks part but was dissing her abilities until his younger sister threatened him with his putter, rofl. (Personally I think he was pushing his sisters buttons, but then I could be wrong...Not likely on that score!)
More rivalry in the making.
Kids see her in a different way than us old folks do.
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