Michelle Wie's youth could help aging Champions Tour

Playing an event on the Champions Tour comes with a built-in stigma, that is, the realization that the men playing golf are no longer youngsters and can no longer compete with guys like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Although the acceptance age is a spry fifty, don’t think that for one minute Vijay Singh is anticipating his move to the once named “Seniors Tour".

You may occasionally flip to The Golf Channel where you can watch some of the great golfers who have made the transformation from PGA Tour player to Champions Tour golfer.

Hale Irwin and Tom Watson have been quite successful as senior players, helping to relate a healthy image for the Champions Tour. Arnold Palmer has shown the world that you can still compete into your seventies. He gives the amateur senior golfer hope as well.

Mark Rolfing, in his commentary, “Seniors need Palmer personality”, notes that with the retirement of Arnold Palmer “it will become increasingly important for the Champions Tour to insure there is enough star power on this tour to generate high interest.”

With that, Rolfing also hopes that golfers like Mark O’Meara and Nick Price, who make their Champions Tour debut in February, will be the shot in the arm that popularizes the Champions Tour.

In my opinion Price and O’Meara will just melt into the fold similar to the way “the Walrus” has done. The senior players seem to start out strong but then fade into a comfort zone, happy to be playing beautiful golf courses and getting paid to do so, not complaining or worrying that the money is similar to what is earned on the LPGA Tour which is in stark contrast to what they could have made on the PGA Tour. As O’Meara confirmed, “I’m looking forward to playing with guys my own age.”

I wonder if viewers prefer watching the Champions Tour or the LPGA Tour?

In my opinion, both tours are doomed unless they start thinking “outside-the-box".

Perhaps the top golfers on both the LPGA and Champions Tour should hold an end-of-season “event” to determine which group has the better golfer. Although that may improve ratings, none of the players would agree to it. If the men lose, they lost to a bunch of women and really show their age. What would be next for the guys that lose? Teaching golf at a driving range? If the women lose, they lost to a bunch of not quite over-the-hill men who are too old to be competitive on the PGA Tour.

Another option for the Champions Tour is to offer Michelle Wie an exemption. As Wie continuously fails to qualify in PGA Tour events, maybe she’ll be up to the idea of qualifying in Champions Tour events. I’ll bet that, for the right amount of money, she’ll be “at the ready” believing that she could make waves here and even make a cut or two.

But can Wie win on the Champions Tour?

I’ll place my money on Hale Irwin or Tom Watson any day.