Michelle Wie paid to play, not to win

Hopefully the Sumo2 driver she dropped in her bag for this event will help her stay in the fairway more than she has in the last few starts.

Let us not forget...on the practise tee, it is 90% physical and 10% mental...on the golf course, it is 90% mental and 10% physical. MW has not been able to understand this little bit of information. Also, for a "honor student" to only know one adjective..."awesome," does not say very much for the Hawaiian school system

Bubbles is an "honor student?' That would be quite an accomplishment since she has missed four weeks of school in this semester.

"Although Wie's chances of persevering in any men's tournament grows more dim with every passing exemption, she did have a single glimmer of hope from a cut made at Japan's SK Telecom Open. "
______________________

The SK Telecom was in Korea, not Japan.
Perhaps you two should have remembered that since you went on to critisise the entire Korean Male population, due to her making the cut against them.

You are a pair of toss pots.
Not sure which of you does the writing, but your blogs are dreadful.

Do you get paid?
No, didn't thinks so. If you did, you would have got the sack for sure.

Stanley, Did you see how Bubbles shot lights out in the first round of the Casio? She shot a masterful 81! Oh, that's right . this is GOLF! More is not better. Bubbles must be confused, similar to all the Wie Warriors. But worry not. She is only fifteen strokes out of the lead and if she breaks the course record in the second round, she MIGHT make the cut.

The people who support Wie are similar to people who support John Daly.

One has the skills but no desire; the other has the desire and no skills.

Both are playing because of their celebrity.

If Michelle Wie keeps refusing to break 80, I will be able to say that I'm better
than her with impunity. I would bet quite a few who post here will be able
to say the same thing. This girl's career is already winding down. Blame the
greedy parents who wrecked her. The "experiment" was exploitation and
child abuse.

Booger,

You play from the red tees...I suspect your parents will sell you for much less than Wie's parents would have....

Happy Thanksgiving...

I guess the new Sumo2 driver swings like the old Sasquatch, like a brick tied to a rope. The only difference is now Nike made it look like a brick.

Miss Wie seems to have lost her Mojo (Nike Joke) and will have some soul searching to do before the Sony Open.

Maybe Michelle will figure out that maybe this men's tour thing is not the right path for her and apply for LPGA membership in 2007. At least she is quite competitive with the ladies.

"Comment from: Booger [Visitor]
If Michelle Wie keeps refusing to break 80, I will be able to say that I'm better than her with impunity."

Don't confuse playing a JPGA setup course with your Tiger Woods Play Station games Booger.

I was really disliking Bubbles because of her arrogance.
Now I am starting to feel a bit sorry for her.
Her parents are rich, But Bubbles is probably broken

The silence from the Wie Warriors is deafening. But don't for one minute think that silence is permanent. As we speak, the Wie-wee's like Norman, One-Putt, and Ghet Rheel are readying an onslaught of inanity the likes of which the golf world has never seen.They will continue to ignore the obvious basic differences in the sexes and continue their fantasy of Bubbles becoming a major force on the PGA tour. I for one will continue to enjoy their rantings for their entertainment value.

I stand corrected, Stanley...the SK Telecom was in Korea.
As far as the witless criticism, is that the best you can do?

BTW, what is a toss pot, or am I supposed to know that too?

And, if our blogs are so "dreadful", why keep reading them?

Wie Warriors, I play from the tips on a 7000 yard RTJ layout. It's a tough
course and has held USGA events. I've always been a better putter than this
girl, and per handicap differentials I am now scoring consistently better than this "superstar".

The girl is done! My old man used to break 70 in his forties. Now he's in his
seventies and struggles to break 85. I am better than him now, but for years I
wasn't.

Wie's reign over me lasted about 18 months. She has her parents to blame
for not leaving the Booger in the dust.

Putting is probably the most important aspect of the game. It's all in the short
game!

As far as Wie being "done" I do not necessarily agree. She is only 17 and can
certainly rebound. Whereas I am not a "Wie Warrior" I do hope that Michelle
takes some time before the Sony Open to realize what she has to do to
attain her goals.

I don't know Stacy, we've seen boys like Ty Tryon and Matt Kuchar peak at a
very young age and look where they are now. Matt Gogel has announced he's
packing it in. I truly believe the girl had her childhood stolen from her and did
not have the proper guidance from her parents. They are millionaires now, but
her talents are now constrained by what's going on in her head. It's a tall order
for a child to rebound from such a problem.

If Wie had never turned pro, she probably would have made it to the Masters
before turning 20 by virtue of winning a men's amateur event. Imagine the
money that could have been commanded then. Now, she'll never get there.
Money isn't everything, and the Wie family certainly didn't need to cash in this
early.

Booger, I agree with most of what you have written about Bubbles, but I disagree with your assessment that she would have won an amateur men's tournament by age twenty that would have gotten her an invitation to the Masters. She didn't come close to winning the US Publinx in 2005. Only the winner of that event gets invited and Bubbles was thrashed 5 and 4 by eventual winner Clay Ogden in the quarterfinals. Numbers one and two get invited from the US Amateur. Bubbles' chances of even qualifying for that tournament were so slim that she didn't even attempt it. She would have had no chance to make it to match play let alone to the final match. Bubbles' dream and that of the Wie Warriors of her teeing it up at the Masters was just that, a teenage girl's pipedream.

Baby Blue Eyes....

JD has a Open Championship and a PGA...

We all relate to JD becasue he is human, down to Earth. Yes he has problems, but so do all of us, maybe not to his magnitiude. MW is a product of arrogance. When my daughter played against her as a junior there were signs on the putting green saying competitors only. Out with her on the green were BJ and Bo, and her teacher, taking up 1/3 of every green. In reality, they have ruined a child that had world beating talent with arrogance, greed, and poor instruction since turning professional...
The difference, now my kid is playing #1 for a D-1 school, getting an education, and developing her game, with her future in front of her. Not looking back and trying to figure out what happened...
I am a proud, (not filthy rich) parent who, if I had to do it again, would do it the same way...
Rock on JD!!!

bill, I only observed Bubbles playing in person on one occasion, the Publinks at Lebanon, OH in 2005. BJ is indeed an insufferable boor. He insisted on moving about, even talking loudly while MW's opponents were addressing their shots, especially putting. His cheerleading, stage parenting, and bad manners were really embarrassing. I expressed my feelings on these blogs before, but the Wie Warriors said that he was simply a proud Korean father

Bill,

So when your kid does not win anything significant, say, by the end of the year, would you ask her to go down the rank and play with easier opponents?

Jade, Bill said that his daughter was playing for a "D-1" school. That's Division One; she plays for a college or university. She obviously is more concerned with getting an education than with an extracurricular activity such as golf.

Alex,

It is nice that you decided to speak for Bill, especially when we are in a thanksgiving spirit.

Hypothetically, if said daughter is concerned with her education first, perhaps she can give up her spot to a aspiring pro who may want to put golf ahead of her education? That sounds like the concensus with Bubble detractors' war cries 'she took a spot from the more deserving pro'.

Jade, I have no idea what in the pluperfect hell you are talking about. Do you? Houdini wouldn't be able to explain the last paragraph of your last post. For your information, a "pro" cannot play in any sport for a college or university, if that was the erroneous point you were trying to make.

Jade, I think that if my daughter was unable to win on a higher level but
kept on trying and there was a slightly lesser division which could teach her
not just how to compete but how to win, I would want her to play against
easier opponents and gain confidence.

Of course you could conjecture that there are golfers on the PGA Tour, for
example, that have won maybe one or two tournaments early on and failed
to continue along their winning ways. David Duval comes to mind.

Okay, maybe Duval wasn't the best example. He stopped at 13 wins before his
ultimate collapse. Matt Kuchar?

Thanks Stacy....I got your point....

Alex, never mind what I said....You have a happy Thanks giving holiday....

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.

Jade...

At the end of the year, you just can't change socks and drop down to a lower level. The fact that my child has won as a junior says she knows how to win against opponents of her ability level or better. In MW's case, she has never learned how to win, how to close the deal. The fact my child earned a full scholarship to a D-1 school speaks for itself. It is continuance of her improvement in the game while getting an education. Unfortunatley MW has missed out on many things, (some good and some bad from a parent's viewpoint). Yes she is rich, but what price is she paying now? I can only imagine how she feels. Looking at her checking account might make her feel better, but what about her dreams? Shooting +17 can be devistating to a child who has dreams about the Masters. Some say she needs to quit. I think she needs to step back, after someone convinces her parents what would be the best for her. Back would be take some time off. Go to school and finish the school year. Get a new teacher for starters. DL is great for young kids, but they burn out quickly. (Whittenburg, Song's for example). If Butch straigthened out Gulbis' God awlful looking swing, imagine what he could do for MW...
I got off the subject, sorry 'bout that... Bottom line, while getting an education, she is learning how to compete against the best in the country in college. If MW had gone that route, imagine how good she would be in a few years....and the Wie family could look at how much more would she be worth???? Shooting +17, Nike and Sony will soon be cutting off the MONEY...

Alex...

Thank you for the support. Yes getting an education is prime, but my kid also has dreams of getting out there. Got to crawl before you sprint. College has been a great learning experience for her, she is head and shoulders better as a player now than before she went. To throw her to the wolves at 18 would have been disasterous. There are only a few Granadas and Creamers out there...

Again, thanks for the thought out support.

bill, You're welcome. My reason for supporting you is simple: Been there, done that. (With a moderate amount of success.)

Alex...

Sadly in these blogs, people can't reveal who they are, where they are really coming from. If you were able to tell who you really are, where you are coming from, those with their opinions might see another side of the coin regarding Michelle, the way her parents are shoving (not pushing) her, sports agents, and big corporations.

Eyes opened, then they might take another stand...

Bill, in my opinion it is unfortunate that Morgan Pressel has not gone the same route as your child. An education is so important.

But, in Morgan's case, do you think she would have learned how to win? Would it have been an eye-opening experience or does she think she's better off playing on the LPGA tour?

No ethnic explaination needed here? Where is she from and what is her religous belief? The money follows the religion and the neighborhood...

Watch the can of worms that statement opens up.... Has nothing to do with ability level. Pressel can play, but grew up a spoiled brat, and it was seen in the many junior events I witnessed, a pure brat. Again a by product of where and what... She acted like she was better than everyone else as a junior golfer and the world owed her...

Pressel will win, so will Wie. Eventually... College would have been good for both of them...
Just my opinion...

I find it odd, grownup people are critical of a teenager trying do what others have failed to do. You must admit that MW has some extraordinary golfing skills. Most other golfing professionals are grown who can take the mental pressure of playing on tour better. Yeah, yeah MW says she don't feel any pressure, but tell me what teenager that has basically been sheltered know how to handle it. You and most of your readers are not understanding, however maybe you are a racist or you are jealous her good fortune. The MW sponsors are gambling on the Tiger Woods phenomenon. If the media quit pressuring this 17 year old girl, she might relax and do something wonderful. I recall you same nay Sayers were saying the Tiger was finished when he had change his golf swing to deal the Tiger proofing of several golfing venues.

Fred, Your post is a joke, right? If it isn't, then I would have to say that your branding folks critical of Bubbles as jealous racists has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever read on these blogs. Worthy of Alan Cup consideration.

Amen to your statement Alex...

Alex,

Please clarify your comment of 'been there, done that'...Did you go through the college system to try to get on the LPGA?

Bill,

Thanks for sharing the insights on Pressel of being a brat. And good luck to your daugther in making it out there.

Jade, Since you seem serious about having my comment clarified, here goes:

I raised three daughters, two of whom excelled in highschool athletics(neither in golf). One was a standout tennis player and the other a gymnast. Both went on to college with the help of minor grants-in-aid, and both graduated, as did their non-athlete sister.

The tennis playing girl and the non-athlete both have earned their master's degrees and are now highschool teachers, while the gymnast is a performer with "Cirque du Soleil" in Las Vegas and other venues,

The point I was trying to make was that although the girls were intense about their sports, we didn't push them or stage parent them in the least. We went to their competitions, cheered them on, and that was it. To us as well as to the girls, academics, good citizenship, and good sportsmanship were first and foremost.

Alright Alex, I applaud you for speaking from experience and sharing them.

I wish your daugthers nothing but the best in their endeavours...And particularly for the Cirque Du Soleil performer, stay safe always...

Quote:

Sadly in these blogs, people can't reveal who they are, where they are really coming from. If you were able to tell who you really are, where you are coming from, those with their opinions might see another side of the coin regarding Michelle, the way her parents are shoving (not pushing) her, sports agents, and big corporations.

Eyes opened, then they might take another stand.

End Quote

bill (with a lowercase b), you are taking these discussions about Bubble to literally and too seriously.

BTW, I do not see you showing your own identity...I think someone here stole your ID, BTW...

For what's worth....

If you watched the Skins Game over the weekend, I am sure you heard that the top 2 properties they want to invite next year are Tiger and Michelle Wie...

I think Alex is right about "Bubbles" (I hate that term!).

As I stated in Digital Golf's latest blog post, Wie's parents need to rein her in. If they are listening too much to Michelle's sponsors (or Michelle herself!), then they need to take back their responsibility.

It is the only way to make sure the damage to her confidence is not permanent.

To Alex
I was not joking, I am amazed when certain individuals seem respond to someone’s comments that is different than what they feel or think as joking or idiotic. Everyone has their own opinions and or anyone else does not have the right to place labels on others statements. Are you a god who knows all? I would like to again repeat my comment, “maybe you are a racist or you are jealous her good fortune”. In no way does that say that you are a “jealous racists”, your words not mine. Give the kid a break, is it a big deal that she has set high goals? They are her goals not yours or anyone else’s goals. It is her right to try and achieve them in her own way. As long as the big corporations and Golf venue owners decide they want her to participate, why not? If you don’t want to support her and her efforts, then don’t. The way I see it and by the look of her galleries you won’t be missed. Come on now naysayer, it is her dream and aspiration not yours.

Fred,

Maybe you're a child molester. Yeah, I'm not God, but I can speculate.

Alex,

Yes, Fred definitely swept away the qualifying school as far as the Alan Cup goes. And I'm wondering: Can grammar, punctuation and overall command of the language factor into the points scheme? If so, Fred may be a force to be reckoned with.

Alex,

Is Judge Smails your spokesperson or agent or something? Why does he always speak for you and always before you respond?

Well, Trevor, for one thing, I would never be a "spokesperson." Only a spokesman. The politically correct thought police don't tell me how to speak.