Michelle Wie hits bottom, Mickelson out of the Memorial
Just when fans were eagerly awaiting a great weekend of golf featuring Michelle Wie, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, despair set in.
Michelle Wie proved to be doing the “moonwalk” in her quest to compete admirably in any professional tournament, PGA or LPGA. Some would still say that Wie is the perfect (?) “ten” even after her blowup hole on the back nine at the Ginn Tribute hosted by Annika Sorenstam, never finishing but coming in dead last (+14) before finally succumbing to her dreaded fate.
Wie didn’t see it coming although she did predict in her pre-tournament interview, “I know I won’t play my absolute, absolute best golf, but I’m still going to try my hardest.”
Almost concurrently, Phil Mickelson withdrew from the Memorial Tournament, citing an injury to his left wrist. Come on Phil, I’m a lefty too and know that the left hand only hangs onto the golf club. But, with the U.S. Open coming up Mickelson can take no chances so, although I’m filled with disappointment that Lefty is out for this event, I understand.
As far as Michelle Wie is concerned, I guess the pressure got to her although I’m sure skeptics will concur that her wrist was not completely healed. Perhaps Wie just wanted to attend her high school graduation? She gave the school a nice photograph hoping it would be blown up into her cardboard likeness (six-foot tall?) but they won’t need it now.
If she can’t compete on the same footing with the women in the LPGA, then how will Michelle Wie ever be able to make the cut at the upcoming John Deere? Is David Leadbetter the next PGA teaching professional on Wie’s chopping block?
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13 comments
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/golf/4851151.html
I hope this is just a matter of coming back to soon after an injury and not another indication that her game is regressing. Either way I hope the girl is OK, both physically and mentally.
Greed...Greed... give me more,
It doesn't matter if her wrist is sore,
Suck it up girl, it's not that bad,
Be thankful now that I'm your dad.
The only explanation is that she is experiencing a psychological breakdown. Remember, this isn't just poor play; it's part of a pattern and more like of 10 handicap golf.
I'll go so far as to say that Bubbles may actually be afraid to step on the first tee in a tournament at this point, as she just may be deathly afraid of perpetuating the pattern. And the self-denial and phony positive talk won't remedy the situation; someone needs to bring her down to Earth and tell her that she must start confronting reality.
I remember her talking in an interview about playing matches against her father and saying that he "chokes." I think it may run in the family. "The sins of the father will be visited upon the child," anyone?
The only thing left for her to do is to get rid of every person in her "circle" including her dad and pick her own team. Perhaps, after starting college in the fall, turning 18 (a great age for breaking away) and moving far from the family, she will be able to think more clearly and make a showing.
Also, I don't think that she's choking like dad on the course. I believe that he's the one making her choke.
One person she really has to jettison is Leadbetter. He makes players think too much about technique and become too mechanical, and she will never prosper under his tutelage.
Harmon has already helped Phil Mickelson. Under his tutelage, Wie might thrive.
I know it seems unlikely or even impossible, but Bubbles career just might be over before it really had a chance to start.
Sports history is replete with teen-age prodigies that burned out before they were old enough to buy a car.
Bubbles, sad to say, is showing signs of doing just that, although I don't believe that even her harshest critics such as myself could have predicted that it would come so rapidly.
I don't think that Butch Harmon or even Svengali could help Bubbles with her destroyed psyche.
It's hard to say definitively, but at this point she may need divine intervention.
When you say Wie hits bottom, you are insinuating that she will not fall farther.
I beg to differ, I think the best (or worst depending on your point of view) is yet to come.
Her year is probably going to be a debacle.
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