“I didn’t even know which sport I was playing out there” stated Michelle Wie after missing yet another cut.
No wonder Wie m/c’d. You can’t hit a golf ball with a tennis racket!
With a 78 and 79 Wie showed she doesn’t belong on the men’s tour. She even added another distinction to her resume. This is the first men’s tournament in which Wie finished in last place.
Another attempt and yet another m/c. That makes nine out of ten times that Michelle Wie has tried, and failed. The professional golfers on the Nationwide Tour should be getting really annoyed right about now, especially those who can hit a drive about the same distance as Wie and actually have a chance at making a cut.
The only men’s event Wie qualified for was the SK Telecom Open…a third world event. Come on, let’s be serious, she was at least a foot taller than the other guys in that tournament - five foot tall men with eight foot sticks.
Wie is playing back-to-back men’s tournaments. Next week, Michelle struts her stuff at the 84 Lumber Classic. She believes that her failings at the Omega European Masters helped her to recognize that she was, indeed, really playing golf. “Now that I played a tournament this week, I feel I know what sport I’m playing".
Now that she knows what sport she’s playing, Wie further believes that its not as important to try and win women’s events because they’re not as highly regarded.
“If I just play women’s events, I only get better at women’s events". Get off your high horse Michelle!
It’s not like Michelle is tearing up women’s golf or the LPGA tour. She hasn’t won a single women’s event, so how can she feel that it isn’t important for her to play against seasoned professionals of either gender! Force Wie to grind it out for a few weeks on the Futures Tour and she might have a chance at winning a tournament, but let me tell you, those girls are hungry!
If Michelle doesn’t keep the hype going, she’ll lose her sponsors. Even this Friday cut gets her all over the news. It’s still recognition, even if you’re recognized for being lousy.
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You reveal your true racist tendencies with comments like this. Five years after that incredible performance art on 9/11--now that was compelling TV--dense Americans still have no idea why the rest of the world would like to blow you up real good. Your country has so much potential... Something has to be done with the unfettered breeding by the ignorant masses. Please use birth control. And if it's too late, then have the courage to buy a gun and do it when they're asleep.
Michelle can't join the LPGA for a little over a year from now, but she is playing in the max tournaments allowed. But when she plays she draews the largest crowds. To join would require a special exemption, but that would be showing special favor. Also she would have to drop out of school to meet the tournament requirements. That means she isn't living her teen years.
She doesn't have any effect on anyones standings in the LPGA (not a member) but would be 15th on the money list if she was and has only played in 5 LPGA tournaments. (Note Natalie Gulbis has been on the LPGA tour for 4 years and has never won, but is considered a very competive LPGA golfer, but nobody jumps on her in the media when she doesn't win and she is 6 years older)
As far as the PGA, she plays where she gets a sponser's execption. Who gave it to her? MEN, the ones wanting to make money off of her popularity. Also the crowds are bigger at the ones she plays in on the 1st 2 days even if she doesn't make the cut.
As far as the PGA Tour. At the present time since there are so few MEN capable and also intimidated by Tiger to be competitive, I don't think there is a huge viewing audience when Tiger isn't playing.
As to the European Tour or any other International tour, I doubt if Americans even pay any attention except if one of their players happens to be competitive on the PGA tour.
so I think she may have given them a little more exposure to the American public by playing even if she did play badly.
My point is why does everyone expect so much out of a 16 year old and is so malicious with their comments if she doesn't meet the expections. It can only be that people think she is being paid to much money for the current results.
My feeling: Get real people, it is the current American way in sports and business and we, as the paying public, pay for it and as long as we do and don't stop it from happening, it will continue.
So why not get off Michelle's A** and just let her play in the Tournaments she is allowed to play in and let her learn.
Yes, I know some are going to say she should be playing in the Amateur circuit and learn, but that isn't the way she wants to learn, so let it lay. She has chosen a different path, so for better or worst it is her chose and not yours. I see a lot of golfers that were good as an amateur and can't cut it as a Pro, so who can say her way is wrong. To my knowledge no one has ever done it her way man or woman.
I just don't think she deserves all the bashing she gets on these blogs. I don't see any of you bash anyone, man or woman, like you do her.
Now she will find out what is like to go from media darling to being roundly second guessed in print and on television. i think it will start tonight on the Sprint Post Game Show on the Golf Channel. Should be interesting their take on this latest fiasco, since the Golf Channel has been one of the most ardent supporters of her. And you will see criticism in the press before the 84 Lumber you haven't seen before. And if she bombs there too, and she probably will given it is a much more difficult course than the one she just played, the free pass with media will be officially over. Then all the hype will be officially over as far as the media is concerned and she will have to find a way to have success as a professional golfer to merit the sponsors staying with her past her current contracts. She will never have any success on the PGA. Doesn't take a rocket scientest to see that. Her game doesn't translate well to the mens game. She goes from being one of the longer hitters on the womens tour to one of the shortest on the mens tour. That puts so much pressure on her short game, which is just average at best for a professional golfer. Her scoring average in LPGA stroke play events would place her 5th. Her scoring average in Mens events is abyssmal. Annika was given much respect for her lone attempt on the mens tour, Vijay Singh aside. She had already earned her place as the #1 Womens Golfer. And after a decent performance but failing to make the cut she decided against trying again. But she learned much from the experience and went on to perhaps her greatest stretch of LPGA play soon after. From her comments before and after mens events Michelle has learned precious little. Their are more ways to get to the top professional tours now. But the golfers like Tiger, Nancy Lopez, Karrie Webb, Paula Creamer who had success as rookies are few and far between. The Morgan Pressels of the world are finding it a major jump from AJGA to the LPGA. It is usually after 3 or 4 years on one of the pro tours that a person starts realizing their potential. Christie Kerr and Lorena Ochoa are two examples I can think of right away who are 20 something, had stellar amateur careers, and took awhile to find that consistency. Lorena was a well decorated amateur who went on to college and won another 12 times there, including 8 tournaments in a row in what was her junior and final season. Yet it is this year, her 4th year on tour that she finally has reached a level of play to be considered one of the elite women players. I doubt that they will, but one would hope that Michelle and her parents, who no doubt direct her career, would do an honest and humble assesment. She took the money so playing as an amateur, in college or not, is no longer an option. But 10 million should be enough to set any family up for life. What she should do is try to get herself to the top of the womens game first, play select mens events then, and see where her game stacks up. Forget about the hype and the hype-driven statements. Or else the only history we may see is how not to handle a golf prodigy.
good post :)
A child's behavior is almost a direct view of those surrounding them. We hope that at least Michelle's parents still retain some influence over her, and not just the sponors.
so BJ, if you're out there, listen up.
You, Michelle, and team Wie DID NOT invent Golf.
You didn't innovate it, you haven't even mastered it.
Golf has been around long before you,
And Golf will be just fine after you leave.
You better learn to respect the game.
Respect it and all those around it;
All those participating in it;
And all those who call it a job.
Modesty and Humility are not words generally associated with team Wie.
But you better learn it fast.
And read the rule book, learn it by heart.
Because I'll tell you one thing:
If Michelle were to suddenly stop playing golf, the world will go on.
There will be other prodigies... other teenage sensations.
Michelle is NOT God's gift to golf.
Each men's event comes with an excuse. The last event Michelle complained of heat exhaustion and this one she complained about the high altitudes and the difficulty of the course.
It is imperative that she take on easier challenges before she continues along her current path lest she burn out by the time she's 21.
Now, go to work, boy. You have those confiscatory taxes to pay!
If you think Michelle Wie isn't tearomg up women's golf on the LPGA Tour take a look at her world ranking. She is ranked 7th, even though for her they use a divisor of 35 even though she has only played in 16 events during the 2 years. If you think Michelle Wie should play on the Future's Tour for a weeks, what about all the women who are ranked behind her including winless players like Soheim Cupper Nalalie Gulbis. You ask why she doesn't feel it is important to play against seasoned players of both genders--when she specifically states that she does consider it to be important to play against both genders. Oh and let us not forget that Wie did want to play in more LPGA events this year than the allowable maximum, and it was the LPGA which refused to allow her to do so.
2006-09-09 @ 19:13"
All I can say that you are very casual about a very obviously contemptuous comment about the Asian race. "Five foot tall men with eight foot sticks." Now shame on YOU!
Now, a little about competition... As a dancesport competitor, my coaches initially entered me in competitions against older, or shorter, or less well built competitors, so that I might have the chance to win. I have since competed and won against those more on my level. The Solomons were being direct. Wie entered into a competition where she thought she was physically less challenged, and where she would most likely attract an audience -- from Asian supporters. If I knew of a competition where there were mostly people of my heritage watching, I too, would compete.
I resent Ms. Mario's additional comments concerning Asians re: "how they have slanty eyes and talk funny?" The Solomons would not write such things because they are not like that. I have almond shaped eyes. I am short. My partners are Asian, Black (not all African descent), White ("Cauc"-Asian), and Latin... I know them better than anyone.
Perhaps, Ms. Mario needs to re-consider her comments, mind her p's and q's (pints and quarts), as I think that is what she was doing too much of when she wrote her diatribe. I expect an apology from her concerning her nasty comments about shape of eyes and speech in the Asian community.
Anyway, perhaps Ms. Mario should consider changing the sport she writes about if teenagers are her target... There is a new tennis champion... 8-)
"Well, I did see some little Chinaman who I thought was pole vaulting. It turned out he just had a 46 inch driver."
Alex
The comment from Smails [just above] seems OK by your set of standards? It is an ethnic slur by mine. In your last comment, Alex, you seem to seek Smails' counsel... whatever for?
Let's give credit where credit is due. Chinamen make great dry cleaners as well.
As to why this site has degenerated: I suspect that the Wiemen have neglected to don their tin foil hats as of late.
How do you like your new best friends - Alex and Smails (and their racist rantings).
C'mon S & B, do the right thing, apologize and move on.
Yes, as Marco Polo discovered, Chinamen certainly have their virtues. And you're absolutely right about their effective methods for handling dissent; they sure know how to secure domestic tranquility.
Anyway, no one is going to make me feel insecure about my charity for the yellow race. Heck, their women have always found me alluring and I have dated more than one in the past. And I just loved Hop Sing on "Bonanza."
Oh, Kimo, ol' buddy ol' pal, the only one experiencing the fear of failure presently is Bubblicious herself. And, I might add, such frailty would go a lot further toward explaining her recent collapse than does the notion that she's "rebuilding." LOL.
http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=2753
It quotes BJ Wie saying to a Korean news agency 'Only thing American about Michelle Wie is her passport'
Here's part of the articlce:
Michelle Wie’s father Wie Byung-wook, a professor of transportation at the University of Hawaii, agreed to a telephone interview with the Chosun Ilbo on Thursday.
“I’m well aware there that some say, since Michelle Wie is an American why is she making such a fuss. But you know what, the only thing about her that’s American is her passport, she is “definitely” Korean.” The golfer’s favorite dish is “rice with pork Kimchi soup with extra tofu and toasted seaweed on the side.” Her mouth waters when she hears about Bossam (boiled pork) or steamed codfish, and Soondae (Korean sausage) and Deokbokki (broiled rice pasta with Korean chilli paste sauce). She may have been born in America but her first words were Korean, and she did not start learning English until after she was attending school.
And the message posts to this article are really interesting! I'm going through some major culture shock.
I think this is a website based in Korea, or at least it's for Korean culture enthusists. You can see some korean perspectice of the Wie's.
Posts #27-29, and 33 are interesting!
º_º
I was wondering if someone was going to bring up the Marmot's Hole. I was if someone hadn't, but you beat me to it.
As for Kimo, if you want a symbol, look at Pak Seri. She hasn't been doing much in the past few years, but it's because of her success that there are 27+ Korean golfers competing and doing well on the LPGA Tour.
You should wear a hood because then no one would be able to see the "666" and hammer and sickle that are tatooed on your forehead.
Danny K, If it will make you happy, change it to" five foot six inches tall men."
Permalink 2006-09-10 @ 08:20
Comment from: Judge Smails [Visitor]
How about "Midgets wielding stilts"?
Permalink 2006-09-10 @ 12:55
Hey Asslex and Fudge Smells....how about Fudge Smells stop putting your stilt up Asslex.....hahahahhaha.....get a clue...Asians will rule the world......hahahah
I'm not concerned in the least. If an Asian country like China does achieve hegemony, no one will be more unhappy than you. Do you really want a maniacal, despotic regime that has no respect for human life to become the next great empire?
Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it. As for me, I'm far better prepared for any such eventuality than you will ever be.
However, as we know, the Nightmare series turned into a franchise and made a boat load of money, while the Bill & Ted movies just went 'puff' after two releases.
Morale of the story: Whatever you do - good or bad, as long as it sells tickets, keep doing it. I think The Wie camp is pratising preceisely that.
Thank you for a pithy and intelligent response. It's funny how ethnic patriotism blinds people to a point where they act in a fashion most contrary to their own best interests. It reminds me of all the "Americans" of Mexican descent who absolutely can't increase Mexican immigration enough to suit their tastes. And all they care about is that these foreigners look, talk and act like they do. But do they ever stop and think about what America will look like after being transformed into Mexico North?
Obviously, Asians was, at least to some degree, trying to get people's goat with his comments -- not that it would work on me. However, he's still naive enough to fail to understand the implications of something that he may find emotionally pleasing. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they're called "sheeple."
Blow it out your ear, Asians, I'm sure you'll be the first to start complaining when we all start having to carry around little red books again and when the Mao suit makes a comeback.
Minseok get you head out of Asslex or you'll start to be like Fudge Smell....Not all asians are Chinese.......What are you Minseok Kim....an asian want to be
Fudge Smell...your comment about asians are as backward as your in-breed relationship with your red-neck view in life and Michelle Wie....oh I forgot I you probably have a thing for little girl.
I like that pidgin English of yours.
I'm Korean, actually.
If they ever resurrect the series "Bonanza," I strongly recommend that you audition for the role of "Hop Sing." You may have a career.