Pressel's golf game rises as she sees Michelle Wie's game fold
The final round of the Longs Drugs Challenge was a nail-biter. Annika Sorenstam pulled off her best Tiger Woods impression giving Karrie Webb a run for her money. As Karrie said in her post-round interview, “I let everybody back in when I doubled seven…I knew that probably would feed Annika’s aggression.”
Webb took home the trophy and the honors but the real shocker came while watching Morgan Pressel play in her first professional “final grouping” alongside the veteran females.
Pressel not only gained her best bogey-free career round finish as a professional golfer but, most notably, showed the world “live” on the Golf Channel that she is more than just a whining obsessed Michelle Wie grouch. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Pressel focus on the Hawaiian teenager for quite some time now, even though Dana Gross-Rhode proceeded to toss out Wie’s name once again, because, as you know, Dana always tries to get a reaction. No sass was given.
Perhaps Morgan secretly feels satisfied now that Michelle Wie has collapsed under the extraordinary pressure put upon her in the past few PGA tournaments. But she’s not saying. Instead, Morgan is letting her sticks do the talking.
Her approval rating is shooting through the roof (at least with this blogger). I was cheering on the rookie as she let loose a string of four birdies on the back nine. Perhaps Pressel is learning some of her “joie de vivre” from fellow Callaway user Annika Sorenstam who enjoys helping rookies on tour.
Morgan Pressel appears to now have the confidence to win on the LPGA tour. I think it won’t be long before she stands in the winner’s circle, joyously hoisting a trophy over her head.
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103 comments
Maybe you could learn something from her!
what Michelle did at the SK Telecom--but at the HSBC Matchplay she definitely
refused to rise to the bait tossed out by Gross-Rhode and she no longer
seems to say negative things about Michelle.
My guess is that Morgan Pressel is not assuming that last place finishes for
Michelle Wie at the Omega Masters and 84 Lumber will mean last place
finishes against the ladies of the LPGA when Michelle plays against the ladies.
You mentioned that you thought Morgan Pressel would win soon on the LPGA,
but isn't there a danger that Michelle Wie could win at the Samsung, in which
case the LPGA would be forced to disband from the sheer embarassment of
having a collapsed golfer like Michelle Wie win one of their premier events after
finishing dead last two times in a row in lesser events against the men?
And now she know what takes win and ready to win one soon.
And yet Michelle is the one clueless at winning on LPGA?
After all those mulitple 2nd and 3rd place finishes of her own?
You guys use very wierd logic for your argument!
While I couldn't really care less about Pressel, people may very well view her recent success differently than Bubbles' many similar finishes. Why? Very simply because the relevant criticism of Bubbles here isn't that she lacks the ability or potential to win on the LPGA, but that she doesn't know how to close the deal. The same criticism has not yet been made of Pressel for the very simple reason that she hasn't been in the position to win very often. Diffferent patterns lead to different criticism.
herself..
But she's matured a little now knowing that whatever she says against
Michelle will come back to bite her so she's more careful now
Michelle has shown that on the LPGA tour at least she is far and away superior
to Morgan
she at least sticks to playing the LPGA and is focused on winning there.
Hopefully the LPGA will still be around when Michelle decides to go back to it :)
exemption to a PGA tournament, 2) She knows she's not good enough,
3) She wouldn't draw the crowds like Michelle does, and 4) No one would
want to see a cry baby playing a PGA tournament.
Pressel sticks to playing the LPGA because 1) She hasn't been given an
exemption to a PGA tournament, 2) She knows she's not good enough,
3) She wouldn't draw the crowds like Michelle does, and 4) No one would
want to see a cry baby playing a PGA tournament.
5) She knows what the "L" in LPGA stands for.
men's professional event, at least she is attempting to gain an education on the
LPGA tour. She, along with other young rookies, are the future of the tour.
Michelle Wie, on the other hand, believes she is too good for the women's tour.
If she is that good a golfer, why hasn't she won yet?
As it is said, no one remembers who placed second.
I mean come on you guys couldn't wait until it was at least closer to the samsung before rolling out the Michelle Wie card to get posts, that's so sad. Michelle Wie had nothing to do w/ the compettition Morgan was in come on you guys can do better than that find your pride once more.
She has proven by her more tradional path that she can close the deal by her outstanding record as an Amateur. Over time I believe she will achieve greater success than MW simply because she chose a more traditional path. Michelle will be in a category by herself for bettter or worse.
I also do not understand the fascination in seeing MW or any female "make the cut" in a mens tournament. Then what.....does anyone seriously expect her to win a mens tournament. If not expecting to win what is the point other than to simply put on a show for money which everyone will grow tired of this.
etc. needed to qualify for the upcoming Samsung World Championship but
Michelle Wie got in on yet another sponsor's exemption?
Oh, that's right. She's not a member of the LPGA, nor the
PGA or any other tour. Right, she's only 16. Without her the event wouldn't
get as much coverage, the purses would be smaller etc, etc.
Oh yes, Lori, wasn't the Samsung the event in which Wie was DQ'ed for signing
an incorrect scorecard? She might have placed fourth.
I think some of of our commentors should re-read Judge Smails comments.
You are acting like it is only a 5 player tournament. There will be 20 players.
Lorena Ochoa, Cristie Kerr, and Juli Inkster might have complaints if they were
left off, but they won't be. If you were free to run a tournament for the 20
best women players in the world, who would you pick?
I challenge you to either tell us that you would include Wie in your top 20,
or name 20 players you would rate ahead of her.
http://www.perfectgolfswing101.com/
Would I put Michelle Wie on my list of 20 golfers if I was creating my
own tournament? Certainly!
There's no doubt that she's entertaining to watch (she's a great golfer) and
she draws big crowds. Do I believe that she should have qualified just as the
other golfers did? Certainly!
As for Florida Mike, you're just sore because I say what's on my mind. Calling
my blog "pathetic" is just plain rude. I never stated that Morgan Pressel's
career would surpass Michelle Wie's career...please re-read the blog.
I just gave kudos to Morgan Pressel and it was deserving in the final round
of the Longs Drugs Challenge.
Pressel has decided on her course of action, that is to play on the LPGA tour.
Michelle Wie is still undecided as to which route to take. We'll all have to wait
until she makes a commitment to see how she will do as a member of the
LPGA tour.
I hope they both do well. Good competition always stirs the players
and awakens the media.
"Possessing potential greatness is one thing, being a factor rather than a novelty is another. Sponsors looking for cheap publicity to sell tickets is wearing thin."
For the rest of this article go to
http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-localgolffeat0928.artsep28,0,4957971.
story?coll=hc-headlines-sports
had more than enough earnings to qualify. It's only because she isn't an LPGA member
that they had to use the exemption.
In just 7 LPGA events this year Michelle has earned more than
all but 13 full time LPGA players on the official list. With just 16
events in two years, but a divisor of 35 Wie is number 8 on the
Rolex Rankings. If she were a member of the LPGA, and all her
missed cuts were in additional LPGA events instead of against
the men, she would almost certainly qualify for the Samsung--o
what is the problem?
In any case, a a fan of Michelle Wie it is not a big deal to me whether
she is at the Samsung or some other event. I would object more about
the fact that except for the US and British Women's Opens, even if she
does qualify for an event she still needs to use one of her 6 sponsor's
exemptions to actually play.
JOE
Michelle Wie has been a factor in all but one her LPGA appearances this
year, with only one finish klower than a T5. It would be nice if you would
be clear on this point when an objection is made to giving her an LPGA
exemption.
The Greeks got to enter a baseball team in the Athens Olympics on a
sponsor's exemption as the host country--and the field for that
competition was far more important and far more limited than any of the
men's events to which Michelle Wie has been invited. Similar home
nation invitations are given in other events. All these seem more serious
breaches of fairness than a few sponsors exemptions in golf. Do you
object to all sponsors exemptions, or just those given to Michelle?
Michelle Wie finished tied for 2nd on a sponsors exemption this year at the
Evian, and top 5 five every one of her five LPGA sponsors exemptions this year.
I believe she has done a lot more to prove she deserves LPGA sponsors
exemptions than Anthony Kim has done to prove he deserves PGA exemptions.
Michelle Wie's womens world ranking is 8--What is Kim's non gender specific
ranking?
You stopped quoting when the article became absolutely absurd.
"Wie is starting to ruin the goodwill Annika Sorenstam and Suzy Whaley
earned three years ago in appearances in PGA Tour events."
The same Suzy Whaley who could only make 2 out 4 LPGA cuts that year,
who isn't good enough to make it on the LPGA, and who qualified
for the GHO by winning a state Open playing from tees that were
10 per cent shorter than those the men played. Tell me about how much
goodwill that generated from the guy who was denied an opportunity to
play a PGA event because Suzy got to play from shorter tees.
And tell me if she generated so much goodwill that they left the rule in
place to allow something similar to happen in the future?
You were the one who said Michelle Wie did very little for her LPGA freebies.
That was the point I was addressing. I gave evidence to support the view
that Michelle Wie is very deserving of her LPGA exemptions. Do you wish to
retract your claim that Wie has done little to deserve her LPGA exemptions?
If not, that is the part of your argument that I wish to refute.
a lot to earn her LPGA exemptions. Don't you think that finishing 2nd
in last years LPGA Championship earned her an exemption into this
years tournament?
boycotting the sponsor's products and write them to inform them of your decision.
Other than that, you can find a lemon and suck on it.
Another advice is: stop reading posts from the Wie-warriors, it will induce stress
and high blood pressure.
I believe sponsors should be free to give exemptions as they see fit within
the rules. A player may receive a limited number of exemptions each year.
As long as Michelle Wie's presence means a 30 per cent increase in
attendance she will continue to be offered exemptions. Yes I believe she
desrves more sponsors exemptions on the PGA as long as she continues
to generate interest the way she does now. Stick with amateur golf if
you don't think money should be a consideration.
outrageous that Eddie Gaedel was banned from baseball for being
too short. I would bet that if there were a Bill Veeck today who did
the same thing the commsioner would do nothing to bail out pitchers
who could not find the player's strike zone.
Let me ask you: what is your handicap?
I had a couple of delicious BLTs last night.
I was rather interested in your comments about Eddie Gaedel.
I know nothing about Baseball so can you explain the advantage of having him in the team.
I guess at 3'-7" he couldn't run very fast and wouldn't get to 2nd base.
I suppose on the off chance the bases were loaded they would get a run.
Would it have really been an advantage having him play.
Just curious.
Alanm
dislikes reminding me of my predictions for a made cut and to
wins for Michelle Wie earlier this year. How believable is it that he
dislikes reminding me of that? If he is going to gloat at least he
shouldn't like about the fact that he likes to gloat.
How does on earn a sponsor's exemption?
I guess the sponsor's can pick who they like.
If you were a sponsor are you saying you wouldn't pick Wie.
Remember your goal is to sell your product to as many people as you can.
Unless you a running a charity.
Wie gives you a call and says "Hey Alex I need a lawyer"
Is your reply
a. Sorry you will be bad for business
b. Yeh sure thing, but how much do I have to pay you.
Alanm
in a decade. Giving him as an example of how one earns a sponsor's
exemption is a little like giving Michael Jordan as an example of how one
earns a first round draft piick in the NBA.
Instead of asking what is the best any sponsor's exemption has ever done,
it is more reasonable to ask what the median performance is. I am sure
Michelle Wie was above the median at her first SONY and at last year's
John Deere.
Michelle Wie most certainly can be competitive on one of the lesser men's
tours. She made the cut at the Telecom Open eariler this year. It is
certainly reasonable to think she could be competitive on the Asain Tour--and
if not the Asian Tour, what about the Korean Tour?
or finishes dead last? If the answer is no when she misses by a stroke, it
should also be no when she is dead last. If it is yes when she finishes dead
last, it should also be yes when she misses by one stroke.
If Michelle Wie can earn $3500 in one week at age 16 playing 3rd tier men's
pro golf it certainly seems like she could be competitve on a lesser men's
tour.
Let's say she could be competitive on a fourth-rate men's tour (remember, the European and Nationwide tours are tougher than those in question). So what? Wasn't it Se Ri Pak who made a cut in a men's tournament in Korea before Bubbles (and Pak finished tenth, I beleive)? The point is that she wouldn't be accomplishing anything that other top women coudn't. And this is significant because you Wiezeals have always billed the Bubbles as a ground-breaker.
The only ground she's breaking involves being the first woman to insist on embarrassing herself completely and selling herself like a $20 hooker.
If Wie could be competitive on a 4th rate tour, that would refute Alex's claim.
Playing on a 4th rate tour would be more impressive than losing to fifty
something Bobby Riggs like Margaret Court did before Billie Jean King beat
Riggs later that year.
in a decade."
Better than Jason Gore last year at the 84 Lumber? Do you think before you
write, moron, or is it just that outside of M.W., you don't know a damn thing
about golf?
Stacey, I was also responding to someone else who had commented on your blog; also rude or not I do not think much of your writing abilities.
Every time Pressel and Wie faced off this year in tournament, Wie clearly out
played Pressel. Are you so desperate to have a young American to represent?
I did condemn Morgan Pressel for not going to college, but you probably missed that article too.
I am not "secretly satisfied" if anyone fails, as long as they try.
If you view her desire to compete with the men as damaging or insulting to the LPGA, that is one thing, but it is NOT the same thing as Michelle saying she's too good for the LPGA.
Why not look up her quotes after the Evian, in which she said what an honor it was to play with Karrie Webb and Laura Davies? That's at complete odds with what you've suggested here. And back to my original point, how can Michelle be acting like she's "too good" for the LPGA when a) she's playing the maximum number of exemptions and b) she's not eligible for membership in the first place?
Reading through the blog, he professed how Michelle had not earned her sponsors exemption at the lpga championship for 2005, because a sponsor invited her.
Read carefully, Alex says that she did not earn her 2005 lpga championship exemption.
Then later Alex goes on in some detail to explain how a 20 year old male player earned his sponsors exemption on the pga tour.
How did he earn it?
Alex explains that through his great performance as the sponsors exemption of using it to get a 2nd place, that he showed he deserved it.
So back to Michelle then.
At the 2005 lpga championship, Michelle got her sponsors exemption and had a 2nd place there.
Alex, are you getting the picture?
Alex thinks that the guy through his 2nd place finish justified his sponsors exemption, yet he thinks that Michelle's 2nd place didn’t justify her exemption.
Just a couple of points because alot of people just don't understand why sponsors exemptions are given out.
Recently I played in Switzerland, there was about 20 Swiss players in the field.
Another example in Holland, there were about 25 Dutch player in the field.
SPONSORS EXEMPTIONS ARE NOT EARNED.
No sponsors exemption is earned by anyone. They are just given out to whoever the sponsor wants, whatever that players skill level.
If Alex or anyone else wants to complain about sponsors exemptions not going to deserving players, then let them complain about any tournament, because in every tournament where there are sponsors exemptions, there are plenty of players who would be more deserving of the place than those sponsors exemptions.
Just look at the alternate players list. The top of that list will contain players more deserving than the sponsors exemptions.
So if anyone wants to complain, complain about all sponsors exemptions and do not nit pick about certain ones, okay.
Certain people were complaining of Wie getting a sponsors exemption.
SHE DID NOT GET A SPONSORS EXEMPTION THERE.
She got a special invitation given by a tournament committee. The sponsor Samsung has nothing to do with it.
Why should she get the Invitation?
Because she earned enough lpga money, that she would have been invited if she were an lpga member.
Incidentally Morgan Pressel didn't earn enough money to qualify and so won't play at the Samsung event.
but Morgan had to qualify, Michelle did not.
Morgan didn't earn enough money to qualify.
Michelle did earn enough enough to qualify, but was stopped from qualifying due to not being an lpga member.
By the way, Michelle earned enough money in just 7 events, whereas Morgan didn't earn enough in over 20 events.
If you want to try to put down Michelle by comparing her to players, you should compare her to a great player like Karrie Webb. Morgan Pressel is a few leagues below either of them.
People can argue all they want about whether Wie is good enough to compete on the pga tour, but it is clear that her performances in lpga events prove that she is good enough to compete in any lpga event.
I think it is just petty for anyone to suggest otherwise.
To answer your question.
Wie has not done anything to earn a pga sponsors exemption.
However she is still entitled to many more if the sponsors want to invite her.
Sponsors exemptions are given, not earned.
Good enough to compete on the pga tour?
In 5 attempts, she has got within 3 shots of the cut 3 times. She is doing very well for a young golfer. Her game is still very immature. Even at the same physical stature, she could knock alot of strokes off her scores, if she improved on a few things.
So, you are very premature in writing her off as regards the pga tour.
On the lpga tour, she is good enough to win, she has already posted a clubhouse lead with a the leaders nearly done. If a leader was to have bogeyed the last hole, she could already have won.
She had a little chip off the side of the green to win outright at the Nabisco and she could have got lucky there, it was very close to going in.
That doesn't change the fact that she didn't win, that is not in dispute, but she has shown that she is good enough to win.
As regards the John Deere, why would you even bring that up. That was just a WD, and they are several of them in most events. At the Lumber there were 10 withdrawals from the event, 2 just before and 8 in the middle of the first or second rounds.
WD's are just part of golf, so for you to say that a WD proved anything is not rational at all.
that in 5 common stroke play tournaments this year, Michelle Wie finished
ahead of Annika 4 times. She was top 5 in 6 out of 7 tournaments this year.
Suppose a 17 year old boy was top 5 in 6 out of 7 PGA events this year,
and finished ahead of Tiger in 4 out of 5 common stroke play events.
Would anyone be asking whether this boy was good enough to win
on the PGA? He could still be winless on the PGA, but no one would be
suggesting that he somehow was just not good enough to win on the PGA.
Norman, How many of those withdrawals were taken from the course in an ambulance?.
************
Alex,
She would not have been taken away in an ambulance, but for the fact that it was law in that state that anyone with that condition had to be brought to the hospital.
Do you know anything about the law?
I never suggested that Bubbles can't win on the LPGA tour. She just hasn't done it.
************
Ealier Alex said:
She can be and in fact is competitive on the LPGA tour, but the question still is, is she good enough to win on that circuit.
*********************************
You said the question is, is she good enough.
As Jim pointed out, she has proved that she is good enough.
show in a race. Since Michelle Wie has frequently finished second or
third in LPGA events she is not simply an also-ran.
Also who said 2nd's were as good as wins?
It doesn't change the fact though that she was good enough to win.
Sorenstam at the Samsung this week.
going to need all her strength unless she plans to put herself in a lot
of deep rough and fairway sand traps.
Hopefully that will prove to her critics that she has turned her game
around, and that we can expect improved performances from her as a
17 year old against both the women and the men.
and I am predicting she will justify her ranking by finishing in the
top 10. Certainly that should be enough to silence her critics. It is
not clear to me that her last two outings against the men have any
bearing on what she will be expected to do against the women--but Alex
seems to think her game has taken a decided downturn in part because of
those two outings--which is what suggested to me the idea that a top 10
finish at the Samsung, in spite of Alex's prediction to the contrary, would
indicate a turn around in her game that would apply to both the women's
and the men's game.
the top 10 of 25 at the Samsung.
the size of the Samsung field is 20 not 25.
I will predict another top 5 finish for Michelle, which is considerably higher
than her Rolex ranking. If she finishes lower than that, I will agree that
she is in a slump, but I would still be optomistic that she will turn things
around and become THE dominant golfer among the ladies and do better
than any other woman has done against the men.
However, it now seems as if you Wiemen have come down to Earth with your expectations, as the most you can muster presently is a claim that she'll finish in the top five in a girly event. This is a more appropriate perspective, and I certainly hope it indicates that the Wiezeals have undergone some significant internal change and maybe even that they've experienced an epiphany.
The field for the Samsung has not changed. It was 20 players in 2004, 20 players in 2005, and was billed again as 20 player in 2006, so not sure where you were getting your info but it was very inaccurate obviously.
As regards the tournament, it is nice that Alex made the prediction that she would be outside the top 10. It should be nice to ridicule Alex after the event.
By the way, I would be happy with a top 5 for Wie.
The reasons are because it has all the top players.
The 20 players in the field are the 20 best women players.
Annika is a massive favourite, it is her home course and she has won it
for 4 of the last 5 years, and often by large margins so she will probably be
difficult to beat.
Lorena and Karrie are on great form also, but I think Wie will contend for
the title.
Alex was mentioning her Lumber performance alot.
A slight difference is that the Samsung will probably play about 1,500 yards
shorter, so don't get too cocky Alex about it.
Wie has a decent chance of winning, a great chance if Annika doesn't just
dominate the event like in previous years, and either way has a very good
chance of a top 5, which would be a good performance against the best,
and would further enhance her terrific debut year as a professional golfer.
However, it now seems as if you Wiemen have come down to Earth with your expectations, as the most you can muster presently is a claim that she'll finish in the top five in a girly event.
***************
Judge,
The event is held in practically Annika's back garden.
It is difficult for the other players to win.
A top 5 in the middle of a school term would be a good result for Wie.
She may win, and is likely to win in 2007 in any case.
The official tournament site stated not only that it would be 20 players, but also how they would be selected.
www.tvdigitalnopc.com.br
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