Woe is Wie! Michelle's first round at John Deere is very sophomoric

"With six bogeys on her scorecard for round one, the Big Wiesy is still in the game." -
Surely, you can't be serious.

"In her favor, she is one stroke ahead of Bob May who, in the 2000 PGA Championship, lost a playoff to Tiger Woods."
So, Wie-Wee can beat Bob, surley she can beat Tigger.

OK you two at GFB, your header suggest a slight anti-Wie bent (“sophomoric”), but the words that follow don't. What's the deal? Bait and switch? After reading the body of your blog the grabber should have been more like, GUTSY TEEN MAINTAINS OPTIMISM- LOOKS TO MAKE CUT AGAINST OODS!

Actually Wie sounded quite realistic in her interview after finishing the first round. She talked about having a week off--but that will happen only if she is not the lowest finisher not already qualified for the Open Championship.

What DO you smoke, Jim. If it wasn't illegal I'd ask for some.

Realistic:

"Considering that I had the water hazard penalties, considering that I had to call unplayable, considering that I hit my driver like 50 yards right, I felt like I played really well."

Are you, like, kidding me.

This isn't even fun anymore.

In a round with 4 penalty strokes, I think a +6 is a lot better than it could have been. I really don't think she considers the cut to be within her grasp--but I am sure she would like to have a second round like the one she had at the SONY, and it probably is a good idea to keep some hope alive. Next to last among the boys is no reason for her to think she can't top all the girls in her next two events. She should be encouraged that she is playing well enough for LPGA wins.

Wow, I see that Bubbles is at seven just like the leaders . . .. Oh, wait . . . she's at PLUS seven . . . hmm. Seventy-seven, well, that's almost what I shot today. Hey, Alex, what do you think the chances are that I'll be able to finagle a sponsor's exemption? I think I can manage to find my way to one of the upcoming tour venues.

Now, in all fairness, Bubbles is only sixteen and she's improving. After all, when she was only fifteen she missed the cut at the John Deere by two strokes and at the Sony by seven. When she was only fourteen she missed the cut by one shot at the Sony. My, my, imagine how she'll be playing when she's only eighteen.

I do like her optimism, though. I'll have to remember to cultivate such an attitude in myself and manifest it the next time I "play well." Hey, I hit a drive fifty yards right, shanked a five iron into the woods, laid the sod over a seven iron and plunked the ball into a water hazard, and three-putted three greens. But, hey, take those insignificant missteps out of the equation and I played well. She must be seeing Phil Mickelson's sports psychologist.

She reminds me of the perpetually optimistic child who was the subject of a scientific experiment. They placed him in a room full of horse manure, and upon returning to check on him a half an hour later discovered that he was wallowing in the waste, tossing it to and fro. Incredulous, they asked him about his behavior. He replied, "With all the horse manure around here, there must be a Shetland pony somewhere!"

And that's Bubbles. No matter how excrementitious her game may be, she just knows that a Shetland pony must be grazing on the next fairway.

Jeez, I thought that some of you wingnuts were total idiots but there are worse tahn you, roflmao..Read this for gutsy stupid statements.

Thia was posted on the TGC forum where the braindead are a dime a dozen. Smails and Alex would fit right in.

From: henniebogan2 (8 of 8) 7/14/2006 12:05:17 AM
To: czsmithgc In response to Post 6
1)She doesn't compete by her own choice as a full time member of The LPGA Tour.

2)It's been proven that she has not chosen to speak with the tour on this issue. Are you going to tell us that if she petitioned them for full time status as a member that Carolyn Bivens would say no? IF she would, she'd probably be leading the money title. A great accomplishment.

3)But her constant hand-wringing over attempting to compete with the men, which she has failed miserably at so far is damaging her credibility among REAL golfers and golf fans. Her playing record on The LPGA is impressive, but NO WINS. She's been heralded as the next coming.

4)I would think that by now even the most hardcore MW fans would have higher expectations of this so-called "phenom." She's won some money. She's got some top 5's. She's also got putting problems, wedge problems, and now driving problems. She's making a mistake trying to play with the men. I think that this experiment is now being proven to be a calculated promotional stunt which has gone badly. She's playing in a weak field on a short course with wide fairways and generous greens. And she shot 77.

5)Not impressive whatsoever. Sorry, but she's a pro.
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Oh and I loved this one... Like he has a choice, like any of you have a choice? roflmao
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6)I'm not giving her any more breaks on this. Get it done, or move back to The LPGA.


And then we hear from at Hurst today that there is now way they will change the rules for one player.

Then Lopez wades in today and shake her shaggy and wise??? old head, saying she really doesn't understand why Michelle won't play all her games on the LPGA tour...


And here I thought J.Smails and Alex were the only ones that were brain dead.


I'm beginning to think the whole golf world is a bit off center, several bricks missing from everyones loads..

Oh and the thing I loved the most with Hursts comment.

"But she is so good for the tour and she is bringing in so much money and.. "

Gushed like hell but not willing to bend a rule for their golden goose.
It would certainly serve them right if she decided to go play in Europe or mixture of Euro/asia and any other tour that she could get a game in. More or less tell them to take a long hike, lol.

Oh and the thing I loved the most with Hursts comment.

"But she is so good for the tour and she is bringing in so much money and.. "

Gushed like hell but not willing to bend a rule for their golden goose.
It would certainly serve them right if she decided to go play in Europe or mixture of Euro/asia and any other tour that she could get a game in. More or less tell them to take a long hike, lol.

I look at the cup half full, Michelle brought her putter to the course today (27 putts) but left her driver back home. Maybe she will remember to bring it tomorrow.

If you want to get the flavor of Wie's round, you should have watched it on TV (or in person). I was surprised. Her shots from bad lies and her putts were PGA caliber. Everyone thinks that is the weak part of her game, but she scrambled under pressure. Sure it was a poor round. She hit it into the water and out of bounds. Just like I've seen Phil and Tiger do. But I also saw some shotmaking that I didn't think she had in her under the best of circumstances. Not a good start for making the cut in this tournament but a great step in her long term development.

Soo much criticism with so little time.

I know... it's because of all the HYPE or it's because of the Wie Warriors or it's because of Nike's big buck endorsement undeserved or it's because of Sony's big bucks endorsement undeserved or it's because of her father or it's because of her desire to play with the boys/men or it's... never mind!

Any golfer (anyone for that matter), be it weekend duffer, amateur or pro can have a bad day. Remember the PGA professional who was ranked #1 in the world on the men's pro golf tour not making the cut at a recent tournament. No, not the US Open but the Byron Nelson. Who would have thought that this could happen? Seems everyone is cutting Tiger some slack and with his recent performance in the Western it looks like that was an anomaly.

I didn't give up on Tiger when he missed that cut and I will do the same for Michelle or Annika or Paula or whomever. All of these golfers have proven their mettle in the past (yes, even Michelle) and a bad day or a bad tournament or a bad run of tournaments (ala Annika) won't change my view of their past achievements and of their future prospects.

The hype has ended, have you noticed? No one goes overboard on the tours to say Michelle is in town, so get your hands on your guns. She has been around a while, with no victories, but is always a threat to be in contention on the LPGA tour. As far as the PGA tour, get Dave Pelz to do a study about when and where her brain fizzles. It seems to happen pretty inconsistently these days...sometimes late final round, as in 2006. In both events in 2007, she has stumbled out of the gate, and never recovered. She reminds me SOOOO much of Greg Norman, except he got to Sunday to make his charges.

putt4parr.... Has MW applied for membership to the LPGA???? If not, quit your whining about how the LPGA won't let her play more than x events....

You guys are pathetic. She had a bad round. Get it through your thick skulls. She is 16. Why don't you wait till she turns at least 18 to assess her game, for heaven's sake? She didn't give up and she fought through her round. She just never got started.

Hey doggie bone...

"Get it through your thick skulls"...

You're absolutely correct, she is only 16. She should be playing AJGA junior events and dominating, getting her game ready for the level she is trying now. You have to learn how to win where winning is second nature. If you never had chocolate, what does it taste like?

Only 16 is a worn out excuse. Wait until she is 18 toi access her game, fine, bring it one when she turns 18. She has been shoved down our throats. Sadly she can't go back to Triple A where she belongs...

Tired of Wie...

Billy, temper, temper. Careful, your blood pressure just shot up.

Randy---This is not a great step in her long term development. Shooting 77's, going home early and generally being overmatched in every way is not productive. Playing tournaments where you have little or no chance of making the cut, let alone actually contend helps no one. Playing courses whose entire makeup is different from what you are used to, greens are slicker, course is longer, rough is higher has not and does not help you win on shorter courses, Michelle has already proved this by not yet transitioning to a win on the LPGA tour. As many posters on this site have already mentioned Michelle is forced to play a different game on the LPGA tour, one that suits their course makeups, playing on 7100 yard courses does not help. The argument that she is trying to test herself against the best competition does not hold water. Golf is a game that is played against the course, not the other competitors. This isn't Tennis where it is commonly beleived that hitting with people who are a little bit better then you is a benefit. It is time for Michelle and her fans to scale back their expectations for the time being and take on more realistic goals--Playing with the men is becoming a bit of a joke at this point and she can be so much more then an attention starved sideshow. In my humble opinion she should continue to play in the maximum allowed LPGA events, Ladies European Tour events and next year petition the LPGA for a special exemption. Playing with the men is not helping her development, in fact I am starting to get a little worried about her mental state. She is beginning to sound a lot like her fans as she talks about how close she is, and how well she is playing despite what we can all clearly see with our own eyes. Being optomistic is a wonderful trait, being unrealistic is not. One side note, Michelle's scrambling stats in her four previous attempts to qualify on the PGA tour would have ranked her 181st on tour. Such is the nature of golf, one day you drive the ball beautifully and putt like crap, the next day it may be reversed. Michelle drove the ball poorly yesterday resulting in too few GIR's, she did however scramble well and putt well. I find it interesting that some of Michelle's fans are already writing off the next two years, with this wait till she 18 stuff. Sounds like some of the swagger is gone. Michelle turned professional of her own will and by doing that she told us that she was ready to compete and win. By taking sponser's exemptions to men's tournaments she is telling us that she believes she can compete, some of her critics have been saying that she is not ready to do either for quite some time and now her game is making our point for us.

Comment from: JR [Visitor]
putt4parr.... Has MW applied for membership to the LPGA???? If not, quit your whining about how the LPGA won't let her play more than x events....
2006-07-14 @ 07:11

hahaha, no, I was not complaining. You missed the point altogether, as most folks usually do..

It's the whining the LPGA does about her not playing more on their tour but by their own admission they won't change the rules so that she can play more. And then they b*tch about her playing elsewhere.

If she applied, you can bet that they'd humm and haw and diddle around with their decision til she was almost 18 and then say "Oh yeah, you can play here now". In the meantime she is playing on any tour she can get a game while the LPGA b*tchs. See the endless circle jerk they play? And then trash the hell out of the cash cow they have..


But then again, maybe you don't understand either, which is fine. Lots of folks just don't want her playing against the men. Or want her to play only in the amateurs or...

I'm sure you get the drift.

Here's the bottom line about Wie. Just let her do whatever she wants. It's a free country.

Wie has not applied for a special exemption. And if the LPGA is a real tour with tradition, they won't give it to her. It's just bad form to encourage teenagers to drop out of high school, which is basically what you'd be talking about.

If she's "ONLY 16", then fine. Just wait until she's 18 and she can join the LPGA tour full-time then, if she wishes. The LPGA is big enough to wait, and people's lives are surely not so empty that it will make that big of a difference in the scheme of things.

And canine lover is the one who is pathetic. It is Michelle who placed herself in this position. No one forced her to turn pro. She chose this path. So being a professional athlete puts her in realm to be judged as a professional athlete.

So Canine and the other Wie Warriors, stop whining when people scrutinize her performance as if Wie were a professional, because - shazam ! she IS a professional !

if Wie wished to avoid the limelight, she could have chosen the path of the amateur and just turned pro when she was an adult and at least finished with high school. There was certainly time for that sort of an approach.


After all, she was "only 15."

-George

Speaking for myself, I like the fact that Michelle is trying to make the cut in a PGA event. I do not care if she is "taking some poor slob's chance to make a buck on the tour". I would rather watch Michelle struggle and learn than another PGA duffer do the same. She is an inspiration to my daughter and is the reason that my daughter has taken to the game. Play on Michelle, as has been said, any golfer can have a bad day, and her day will come. Alex and friends always want predictions, so heres one:
Michelle Wie will win 4 LPGA Tournaments, One Major, and make the cut twice in a PGA event
by the time she is 18. I will bet one Fla lottery ticket on that prediction!! Any takers?

Mike

I hope that Michelle Wie remains an inspiration to young ladies all around the globe but wouldn't it be nice if she started winning tournaments? That would give kids the thought that they too can succeed.

It would be terrific if Wie could win one on the LPGA tour. That would surely bring more interest to the ladies tour. More people would watch and its popularity would soar.

All right Mike, I'll take that ever so white trash bet. I'll wager one Connecticut powerball ticket against you're Florida lottery ticket that Michelle will NOT accomplish the things you have stated. Let's handicapp this horse race; This week a cut made looks very unlikely, so she will have to wait until the 84 Lumber Classic in September to take another crack at making the cut on the PGA tour. Another poor showing would result in 6 failures in a row, hopefully enough that sponser's realize that this sideshow is just that and pull the plug. Michelle has just the Evian Masters and the Women's British Open remaining this year coupled with her six exemptions, british, and US women's open next year and you have a grand total of 10 events, of which you say she must win 4, inculding a major. Do you want my lucky numbers now or do you want to drag this out to the bitter end. She will be 17 in just a few months and chances are high that she will remain winless until then. Wie Warriors accross the world will have to change their mantra to, "She's only 17".

If Michelle does well in her next two events in Europe, I would like to see Michelle Wie petition the Ladies European Tour for an age waiver. I think the LET would be willing to treat Michelle Wie with respect. She could be a member of a ladies tour that does not rut unreasonable requirements on its members. Perhaps a part of Michelle Wie's legacy could be helping the LET replace the LPGA as the dominant tour in women's golf. I can't see Michelle Wie ever joining Bivens' organization.

Jim---Tiger Woods and Ernie Els could not turn the Ladies European Tour into the premier tour, let alone the winless one all by her lonesome. To see just how ignorant and frankly arrogant you're statement is let's look at the stars of the respective tours. I'll take the LPGA money as a starting point. Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Julie Inkster and Mi Hyun Kim are the top 5 there. LET is led by this murderer's row, Gwaladys Nocera, Stephanie Arricau, Laura Davies(yes she's still playing), Veronica Zorzi and Sophie Giguel. If you're response to these names is, Who? You are not alone. It's not even worth arguing that the LPGA is the far superior tour, in both talent and depth. The thought that Michelle Wie could single handidly change the power ranking of an entire tour is absurd. She would certainly bring more interest and coverage and with the lack of relative talent across the pond dhe would almost certainly win, but her place is and should be the LPGA, no matter what her opinion of Ms. Bivens.

Ford, Your on, though I will wait till the end. I will sign on from now on with Mike-FL so you will know I haven't gone away. We will see!

Stacy, she will start winning, be patient and do not be influenced by the wie bashers. She has done too well this year not to get to the next level soon.

Comment from: Ford [Visitor]
*****
...but her place is and should be the LPGA, no matter what her opinion of Ms. Bivens.
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There I must disagree, MW doesn't owe them a thing, same as they don't owe her anything.

That is the whole point that Bivens, Lopez and the rest of the LPGA ladies miss. Michelle owes them nothing. They haven't given her anything and won't till they feel they can milk her status as an attraction for more than they are getting now.

The LPGA is as bad as the sponsors and the media , They would like nothing better than to be in control and exploit her exclusively. They are a business, pure and simple. But like any business, they must give a little to get a little and they don't want to bend, at least not yet.

I did see where Bivens is now speculating that they may lower the age restrictions.

Too little, too late for MW. By the time they get their collective hienies in gear, she will be 18 or close, and beyond their token olive branch of membership , they won't be able to deny her that membership and she still won't owe them anything.

just my $0.02 worth

FORD

The LET gives the LPGA a run for its money in the Solheim Cup winning a fair percentage of the time. Annika Sorenstam is a member of the LET, she's not exactly dog meat. Biven currently seems to be alienating nearly everyone.

She has Shoprite threatening a law suit at the moment over date of next years tournament. She is not making friends, lol.

Jim, do you suppose that if LET had Michelle in its fold, that the sponsors would shy away? I think they would jump on the bandwagon, from the controversy publicity angle alone. Then there would definitely be more that the present 17 Tournment that Let has.

Mike from Fla. I admire you're optimism. She is a fine golfer, no question. I just do not believe she was it takes to make herself or you a winner. Her results on the LPGA tour suggest two contradictary things, she is getting closer to winning and she after all the close calls still has no idea how to win. I'm sure Michelle is a decent person, I just think she is more style than substance and that the career path that has been laid out before her is not the one conducive to her winning golf tournaments. Cashing huge endorsement checks and creating media buzz, yes, winning no. Good luck, Mike! I hope Florida has a heck of a big jackpot October 11, 2007.

FORD--Last year at the US Women's Open Michelle Wie was tied for the lead after 3 rounds--and shot an 82 in the final round. This year she has played the way Morgan Pressel did in last year's Open. Would you also say Morgan Pressel has no idea how to win?

"Would you also say Morgan Pressel has no idea how to win?"

Right now, she doesn't. Neither does Gulbis.

And the "idea" doesn't mean as much as the execution.

Comment from: ToddCommish [Visitor]

"And the "idea" doesn't mean as much as the execution."

Which also applies to MW and to the cuurent co-leader at the LPGA, Reilley Rankin.

I would really love to see Reilley win one.

Although I hope MW improves over the next year, her difficulties in tournaments will likely be magnified when she has to compete full-time on the LPGA. She seems to be fragile mentally. Time will tell.

Another organization that Bubbles might seriously consider joining if the proposed deal with the LET doesn't pan out is the ABGT (Antigua and Barbuda Golf Triumvirate). They only have three members now, so they are looking for a fourth to fill out their foursome. Bubbles would bring some much-needed prestige to the ABGT. And she would be guaranteed to be no worst than fourth in any tour event she engaged in. One big disadvantage is the tropical heat. The only island ambulance is normally down at the beach.

Alex, Alex, Alex... It would seem that the greasepaint you've been using has dripped into your jock strap. The happy face painted on your other head has clouded your vision or steamed your glasses maybe.
I knew there was a reason why you won the D*ckhead of the year award. Funny thing, the "little" guy doesn't seem to have improved your thinking or your attitude. You might want to get a "hand" from Judge Smails about now. Cheers, and don't get any heat "stroke" now, you hear?
ok, you can go "down" to the beach now and play some beach "ball".
Oh, and you might want to invite Tim along too ! It would appear He likes to get a little "anal" on occasion too. Now that seems like a more likely Triumvirate in Antigua and Barbuda.

Have a nice day Alex.

putt4par, You also seem to have been give a healthy shove over the edge by Bubbles' latest flopperoo. p4p, get your mind out of the gutter and start posting some praise of Bubbles. The Wie-wee's are anxiously awaiting your words of wisdom. They need encouragement in these dark days.

It is funny, Alex. The Wie-zeals really must be coming unglued. Presently, they're at a point where they can't even seem to muster praise for Bubbles; they can't seem to locate the silver lining in her latest cloud. Thus, they have been reduced to the ignoble task of attacking the messenger.

Could it be heat-related message board collapse?

Judge Smails, Yes, the heat is taking it's toll. Of the Wie-wee's, that is. Unless I'm mistaken, isn't the course at the John Deere about 400 yards longer this year than last? Maybe that had something to do with Bubbles' inability to get untracked. The heat (94F) and humidity (40%) at Silvis doesn't seem to be bothering the boys. Daisuke Maruyama 66. Jeff Maggert 65, and Alex Cejka 64. How about Natalie and Paula running one-two at the Jamie Farr? Women's golf isn't my cup of tea, but I'll be watching that one. If those two would end up at the top on Sunday, heads will explode ar Wie headquarters. The Wie-zeals will be put on suicide watch. And Bubbles herself will probably have a good cry. The plight of the Wie Warriors is similar to what Custer told his troops at the Little Big Horn. After a crushing defeat, Custer told his men "Cheer up! Things could be worse!" So they took his advice, cheered up. and things got worse!

Tell me all you Wie critics. WHy are you here? You are just as fascinated with her admit it.

And 16 is an excuse. Read this MSNBC article today:

"And for those keeping score, it took Woods awhile, too. He played seven events before he made his first cut, and was 19 when he did it.

“She’s better than Tiger was at 16,” said Joe Ogilvie, the second-round leader at the Deere Classic. “I played with Tiger, and Tiger wasn’t this good.

“Everybody is like, ‘Win, win, win,”’ Ogilvie added. “She’s 16. Chill out. Once she gets to winning, you’ll get sick of her winning.”

Jenny,

You just keep on believing that. What some tour pro said doesn't cut much ice with me. Heck, Mickelson predicted that Sorenstam would easily make the cut at the Colonial and finish about 20th. I could have made a lot of money off that dope.

Secondly, Woods was never hyped at the age of 16 like Bubbles has been. He also never shot his mouth off like she has.

The high expectations exist, Jenny-poo, because the Wies fed the media mania six ways to Friday.

I might add, Jenny-poo, that the improvement curves of Bubbles and Woods have been quite different. Did it escape your notice that Bubbles performed even better in these PGA events previously?

There's a great old saying. To wit, "Everyone reaches the level of his own incompetence."

Comment from: Judge Smails [Visitor]
*There's a great old saying. To wit, "Everyone reaches the level of his own incompetence."*

It would seem that you surpassed yours, JS.

My 4 year old granddaughter is just like you in some ways. She demands instant gratification, when she doesn't get it, she makes the same kind of noise as you and Allex and John D.
Totally incomprehensible but driven by self indulgance.
It's really amusing to see you bottom feeders surface in such large schools.

Cheers!

The distinction between Tiger Woods at 16 and Michelle Wie at 16 is that Tiger had not held himself out as a professional at that age. In fact, he went to Stanford as an amateur and on scholarship for two years before turning pro and being subjected to the scrutiny that comes along with the cash. Michelle Wie has chosen to turn pro at 16 and grab the money. She must also take the scrutiny that comes along with it. 16 can be an excuse for an amateur but not someone who is being paid as a professional. While the criticism should not be mean spirited, it is definitely warranted when she and her family put her out there. At 16 Tiger didn't receive the criticism because he wasn't a pro and wasn't being paid so there were no expectations.

Alex, "...what Custer told his troops at the Little Big Horn. After a crushing defeat, Custer told his men "Cheer up! Things could be worse!"" Quite difficult for Custer to tell his men anything after "crushing defeat" because he was dead and his men would have more than a little difficulty hearing his words as they were dead too. Maybe you should warn us before you employ a faulty rewrite of history in order to make a point... coming from you, it's, usually, a point not worth reading.

Judge Smails, "Secondly, Woods was never hyped at the age of 16 like Bubbles has been." No hype for woods at age 16? You are joking? Tiger, age 2, on the Mike Douglas Show along side Bob Hope on National TV. Tiger, age 5, profiled in Golf Digest. Tiger, as a kid, appearing on Johnny Carson with his dad, Earl. Tiger's dad didn't wait for age 16, he started it at age 2. Don't disagree with Tiger's dad doing it just as I don't disagree with Michelle's parents doing the same. More power to them all.

Judge Smails, ""Everyone reaches the level of his own incompetence." It's incompetent to misquote the "Peter Principle" (Laurence J. Peter). We can accept paraphrasing of a an old saying but one should not include that in quotes. More than to Michelle, this saying applies to the Wie-bashers for their use of invectives, hatred, mean spiritness, etc. that spews forth whenever the topic is about her. Now, let me paraphrase the Peter Principle as it applies here: Wie-bashers reach a new level of competency bashing Michelle Wie as is consistent with the length of their "peters." Sorry... that was unkind of me... just hope you Wie-bashers get the drift about your behavior?

For the record, it's just as inappropriate for the Wie Warriors to employ the same hateful rhetoric against the Wie-bashers!

Ahhsoo,

A few Alan Cup points for you tonight. I never said that Woods received no attention; I said that he was never hyped the way Bubbles has been. And, certainly, proportionate to the greater potential he possessed, it's not even close. There's a big difference between saying that a promising boy may be a force on the men's tour and that a promising girl will be.

How old are you Judge Smails? 12, 13? Write responsibily even if somebody does not agree with you. Don't resort to silly and childish name calling. My name is Jenny not Jenny poo. It's a nom de plume not my real name just like you are not a real Judge, otherwise heaven help our judicial system !!!

Judge Smails, by anyone's definition, taking one's 2 year son on National TV with Bob Hope to display his golf ball driving & putting prowess is feeding HYPE to the n'th degree. I do not disagree with Earl Woods for doing that as he was displaying a father's pride in the accomplishments (to date) of his son, Tiger. And as we know by now, Tiger deserved the HYPE!

I don't remember any National TV appearances for Michelle at age 2? Or remember any Michelle guest shots on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show at age 5? Maybe you can correct my memory on that.

Like many others have stated here, maybe the Wie HYPE should be judged in its historical context after she turns 22 (Tiger having won his 1st Major at 21). On her 22nd birthday with no Major wins, no wins at all, no PGA cuts, no anything AND I will agree with you, Alex, george, et al about the Michelle Wie HYPE. Till then, please cut the girl some slack and sit back and enjoy her golf... when it is good that is.

Thanks for the additional Alan Cup points and cannine lover will be disconcerted to hear that I'm surging ahead on Saturday... what we tournament watchers call "moving day."

it's official.... Wie Warriors are losing it.....

AhhSoo, You must not have learned a thing about hyperbole, allegory, or picturesque exaggeration as writing styles. The line about Custer was not meant to be taken seriously. Next time I'll put in a disclaimer for you Wie-wee's. I realize that you and other Wie-zeals are striving mightily to win the Alan Cup. But I have some bad news for all you wannabe's. Alan himself is back in action. Yes, sorry to say, the Great One has come out of his self-imposed exile/retirement and has posted here on another thread. You'll have to be content with second place at best.

Alex, I never realized that high schoolers (or is it grade schoolers in your case) were taught that the employment of those 3 techniques in debate class would constitute a winning strategy. If anyting, exaggeration (and the other forms belonging to the same genus) is a "sure-fire" method of succumbing to a more learned opponent... in this case andy.

Alan cannot be in the running for his own Cup. Otherwise, why name the cup after him?

You and the other Alan Cup committee members should be removed from your positions as impartial arbiters. Alan coming out-of-retirement and allowed, by the committee, to compete for his own Cup while the tournament is in the 3rd round is ludicrous!

Nobody ever intimated that those of us on the Alan Cup committee were impartial arbiters. Nor does anyone have the authority or the power to remove any committee members as judges of the competition. All members of this blue ribbon panel are self-appointed. We answer to no one and our decisions are final and irreversible. Some thought was given to disallowing Alan from the competition and giving him permanent lifetime status as Imperial Wizard of Inanity. Or perhaps Grand Dragon Dumdum Emeritus. However, we decided that since Alan was still at the top of his game, that he still had all the moves, it would be patently unfair, practically UnAmerican to scratch his name from the roster of entrants. We could not bring ourselves to literally "punish success." So Alan stays. In the interest of fairness, and to level the playing field, the committee has decided to limit Alan's style points to 100 per post.

Alex, "...practically UnAmerican to scratch his name from the roster of entrants." Umm... how is it that Alan comes out-of-retirement today and is considred an entrant on the official roster of a tournament that is, already, underway?

Seems to me that this decision by you and the committee would qualify you all for "...permanent lifetime status as Imperial Wizards of Inanity."

Maybe "In the interest of fairness" (your words), the committee should award itself the Alan Cup championship as it seems that "impartial arbiters" and "subject to no one" is equivalent to a "hole-in-one" at the par 5 18th in the Alan Cup championship.

Why is it not surprising that when the Wie-bashers are placed in any position requiring impartiality or fairness of governing rules... it, always, ends up the same way... with sad disappointment!

cannine lover's heart will be broken with this news and so will mine. Thanks for dashing our hopes... You meanies you! /s

AhhSoo, One of the things that will make a man "persona non grata "to the membership committee of August National, and also to several other clubs, is for one to pointedly ask about becoming a member. Similarly, you have all but eliminated yourself from Cup consideration. You have committed the faux pas of asking impertinent questions, and questioning the integrity and impartiality of the members of this august body. One thing that you do not have is the total cluelessness as to why you are being considered. Alan has a super abundance of this rare commodity. Unfortunately it is not transferable from one dimwit to another.

Alex, "You have committed the faux pas of asking impertinent questions, and questioning the integrity and impartiality of the members of this august body." IS, by any stretch of one's imagination, "practically UnAmerican" (to use your words).

"One of the things that will make a man" is an interesting assumption considering that I did not give any indication by Nom de plume or otherwise that I was a man. Another "stutter-in-your-putter" to discover that a competitor in the Alan Cup championship was a female... considering the Wie-bashers penchant for hate rhetoric against all things to do with the fairer sex... like Michelle playing with the men!

I am appreciative of yours (and the committee's) notification of disqualification as it allows me more time with my family and less time on that "nonsense" Alan Cup tournament fairways attempting to out-play cannine lover.

My best wishes to Alan on his quest for a consecutive championship in the Alan Cup (Wie-bashers) tournament.

Alex, one other thing to point out... "One thing that you do not have is the total cluelessness as to why you are being considered." is a "double-negative" and ends up stating that I am in possession of all (total) clues.

Maybe, you should consider a retreat on your increasing (one might claim "Inanity") use of embellished prose in order to make a point. You should return the Thesaurus to the bookshelf because its use (misuse in your case) just serves to increase your "stutter-in-putter" writing style.

AhhSoo, Would you kindly repeat that , please?

Ahhsoo,

I figured you were female. Alex probably suspected it too.

Jenny---Tiger was a 6-time Junior World Champion, won 3-consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur Titles, 3-consecutive U.S. Amateur Tiles, 1-NCAA Indicvidual Championship and then WON 2 tournaments in his firat three months as a pro. On a far weaker and clearly inferior tour Michelle has won nothing in her first full year as a pro. The pattern here is very clear; Tiger chose to learn how to win and eventually dominate at each and every level he competed at, once he had learned all he could he moved on to the next challenge, eventually winning there as well. Michelle on the other hand has gained no experience at any of these early levels and has certainly not learned to win, let alone dominate. Michelle and her family have chosen to grab the cash, which I have no problem with, but it has come at the expense of the development both mentally and physically of Michelle and it's one of the reasons I feel that she has not won yet and why I personally think she is not built for the long haul in this game of golf. I smell a burnout coming and it isn't going to be pretty.

AhhSoo, I never stated or implied that you were a man. I referred to the policies of Augusta National and other clubs which only have male members.The Alan Cup committee has a similar policy, men only are considered for the award. Women, while they can be quite stupid at times (you've displayed that dubious quality in much of your postings), don't have the depth or the staying power of men in this competition. Just look at some of the stupid things that Alan has been posting. Bear in mind, he has been inactive, out of practice for quite a while, and still he comes up with some gems of idiocy. Just wait until Alan re-discovers his "A" game. And AhhSoo, if I were you , I wouldn't wear that skirt with that top. It doesn't do a thing for you.

Alex,

I didn't realize that women were excluded from the Alan Cup. Maybe one day you can institute a women's division.

Alex, Answering my post with "AhhSoo, One of the things that will make a man "..." is NOT "implied that you were a man."? Hmm... Is that more "hyperbole" or "picturesque exaggeration" from you? Nice try Alex. More "Inanity" from you will not improve your "grade school" debating skills one iota.

"AhhSoo, if I were you , I wouldn't wear that skirt with that top." is a statement of your new found fashion sense (apparel coordination for the female persuasion, that is)? This skill added to your superior debating achievements, weather prognostication on the Illinois/Iowa border (JDC site), "prejudicial arbiter" committee member of the Alan Cup and general all-around Wie-basher is breathtaking!

BTW, I feel that my grass-skirt and coconut shell bikini top coordinates are quite fetching. Please gentlemen, don't get excited as I do wear "spandex shorts" under all that grass. Of course, coordinated, in light green so as not to offend Alex's fashion sensibilities.

Judge Smails, quite interesting that an Alan Cup committee member does not know what the rules are vis-a-vis women where the other member, Alex, does? Maybe, another "Peter Principle" applies here: The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing as regards the Wie-bashers' "peters." I know... not nice AGAIN... My apologies... but just attempting to fit some "allegorical" prose to your situations. Please note that the "hyperbole" employed here is NOT a reference to "size of peters."

Well... enjoyed the reparte but must return to the "female duties" of this household, now.

I'll bet that AhhSoo makes a helluva batch of ice.

I just don't know why Ahhsoo's husband permits her to use the computer. I would think that cooking and cleaning would keep her busy enough.

I think what Michelle does not have is a lot of her pro golfer peers standing up for her and reminding us that she is just a kid, as they did for Tiger. On the mens tour they realized that Tiger was going to be great for golf and everyone was protective of him from an early age. From many of the players on the LPGA tour, Michelle has taken much more criticism. I’m not sure if this is from a more catty nature of the ladies tour but we Tiger developed into someone that can defy all his critics and we should be allowing Michelle to do the same.

i thin padraig harrington is cool