Michelle Wie's wrist okay for U.S. Women's Open but not for John Deere Classic?

Hey, 1 out of 2 right decisions ain't bad...It is a start...

Also, perhaps Wie's camp think she can beat the girls with one hand tied behind her back...

Stacy,
You blogs are hit and miss.
This blog was a miss.

It is perfectly understandable that Michelle should play the US Womens Open and not the John Deere Classic.

The length of course is a factor. Then there is the kind of rough. The usga won't have easy rough but it will be much easier than a pga event.

Also, hitting woods off the tee might well be good enough at the US Womens Open, but the driver would have to come out a fair bit at the John Deere, and from the way she was swinging at the lpga championship, she obviously hadn't yet increased the strength in her wrists sufficiently to get the clubhead speed to control the ball using a driver. That was very obvious to those of us with experience in that field.

Some yardages at the John Deere for par 4s are:
485 yards, 465 yards, 463 yards, 454 yards. Those are long holes.

Michelle made the correct decision. Why play the 2007 John Deere when she would be hampered by injury. The pga exemptions would eventually dry up if she played poorly in a number of events and why would she waste one with what obviously would be a bad performance.
On the other hand the lpga exemptions are in no danger of drying up and all the top events want her in their fields.
She has also qualified for the US Womens Open 2007 so nobody can complain about her taking a spot away from someone if she didn't play well.

She is correct to play the 2007 US Womens Open while building her strength and hopefully she will makes the cut and get in 4 rounds of play there.

"The pga exemptions would eventually dry up if she played poorly in a number of events and why would she waste one with what obviously would be a bad performance."

What would you call her play in her previous attempts against the men?

Stanley,

I am thoroughly convinced that if Bubbles were to stand on the parapet of a fifty story building, jump off, and while flapping her arms in an attempt to fly, fell to the sidewalk below and broke every bone in her body, you would say that her actions were "perfectly understanable" and that she "made the right decision."

Alex,
Are you saying that you disagree with Michelle's decision to withdraw from the John Deere Classic?
That's very puzzling indeed.

Stanley,

No, Big Stan, I agree that she should withdraw from the John Deere.

She should also withdraw from the US Women's Open if she is not at anywhere near healthy and close to the top of her game.

She should also gracefully decline the premature invitation to the Samsung, since she hasn't done anything to merit that invitation.

And according to you, she isn't likely to do much in the upcoming Open.

What she should do in light of her dismal performances for close to a year are the following:

1)Get ready for her freshman year at Stanford with the anticipation that any young female her age would exhibit.

2)Appeal to the USGA to rescind her professional stature and re-instate her amateur status.
And

3)Play for her college team when her eligibilty is in tact, study and live a normal college life, graduate, and then decide if she wants to further pursue the course that her stage father, BJ, had set for her.

Will any of that happen in the next 1 to 4 years? Not a chance.

Stanley,

My blogs are only a "miss" when I write something about Michelle Wie that you do not concur with.

I hope only the best for Wie, but, if her wrist is still a problem, she should bow out of all tournaments until she feels fit for competition.

Since the U.S. Women's Open falls before the John Deere Classic, it only makes sense that she should heal before she attempts to further damage the injury.

Michelle should drop out at the US Open. However, it is a major and she is too stubborn to let that one go. The John Deere, she knows she won't make the cut, the course is too long, and will be too staneous on her wrists. Why waste energy on a small event?

Alex,

I would not anticipate that Bubbles will take any time preparing for Stanford like you suggested with your first recommendation. From her remarks during a recent interview, she thinks Stanford is going to be easier than highschool. Either she just graduated from one damn tuff highschool, or she has quite an eye opener when she starts college.

LR

Lance R.,

I didn't say that Bubbles WOULD prepare for her college entry like a normal young lady, I said she SHOULD have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the excitement and anticipation of going off to college.

My three daughters had that wonderful experience and they often reminisce about it.

Bubbles on the other hand is an only child, an offspring of privilege, who has been coddled her entire life.

She missed several weeks of school every year in high school to accommodate her golf forays and she still made good grades, so she obviously thinks the same easy "A"s will be there for the taking at Stanford.

One thing is certain. If Bubbles takes a full course load that is normally expected of a freshman by prestigious colleges, there is no way she'll be able to pursue her career to the same degree as she did while in high school.

Of course, the Wie-wee's will scoff at this assessment.

I predict that Michelle won't last very long in college, as has happened with other top class golfers.

Alex is right. Wie should enjoy the college experience and learn something so that, in case she is injured and can no longer perform (as has happened to some high school and college athletes), she can fall back on her intelligence.

Stacy said: "Since the U.S. Women's Open falls before the John Deere Classic, it only makes sense that she should heal before she attempts to further damage the injury.
________________________________

Stacy,
She won't damage her injury any more, her doctor has confirmed that. It may hurt, it may hamper her at the US Women's Open, but she won't do any permanent damage to it. She wouldn't do any permanent damage at the John Deere either.

The reason she has withdrawn from the John Deere and not the US Women's Open, is because of the relative length and difficulties of the course.
As she showed at the lpga championship, she was competitive on the lpga tour even with a wrist less than full strength there. She could also be relatively competitive against the field at the US Womens Open, but she would be highly unlikely to be competitive at the John Deere in 2007 because the pga is at a different level to the lpga tour.

Even Wie at the lpga championship, not hitting driver, and not getting much distance out of her other clubs, not hitting many fairways was still able to scrape making the cut. That's fair enough on the lpga at the US Womens Open because she would be getting back into the competitive side while doing it.

Why do you call her bubbles?

Stacy what people tend to forget is that Michelle was taking college credit AP classes throughout high school. It is very likely she has completed most of her freshman year core requirements and will be taking some second year core classes during her first semester.

By front loading her fall semester schedule with more classes, she should have the flexibility to play events after winter break that she wants to play, within reason.

Michelle also should receive PE credit for her status as an Olympic class reverse running marathoner.

One-Putt,

Just for my edification, exactly where was Bubbles doing her ill-fated "reverse running?"

"Comment from: jtw [Visitor]
Why do you call her bubbles?"

They were bullied and called names in high school, so this is their attempt to get even from afar.

"Comment from: Alex [Visitor]
One-Putt,

Just for my edification, exactly where was Bubbles doing her ill-fated "reverse running?"

According to my sources from within the Super Secret Wie HQ, it happened in Kaliforneeeaa. The State is renowned for reverse running on a number of levels.

jtw,

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

I'm not exactly sure why the name "Bubbles" caught on, but I thought it was kind of catchy.

You know, her "bubbly" personality associated with her "sparkly watch".

Maybe she could use a change in her moniker. She doesn't seem so bubbly as of late

One-Putt,

I believe you.

But how do you explain the number of supposedly knowledgeable Wiebots who are sure that Bubbles' "injury" occurred in Hawaii?

Who did come up with the name "Bubbles?"

I do not know, but have a good idea of where it came from. This name is absolutely perfect for her. She is always speaking in such a positive ("Bubbly") manner, even after she has just shot a 10 on a par 5 (i.e. "no big deal, everyone has a bad hole, it was actually quite funny when my ball hit a car and rolled into a sewer, I was going to try to hit the ball, but I could not fit into the sewer inlet") So you see jtw, the name is actually quite fitting.

Another good example of Bubbles being Bubbles was when she was carted off at last year's John Deer Classic due to heat stress during the second round. Her comment was: at least the ambulance did not have the light and siren on when they were going across the golf course hee hee hee.

Yea...Bubbles really fits.

LR

Bubbles - Nike must be loving this campaign. "Just Withdraw"

She was dubbed "Bubbles" because of the nature and quality of her intellect.

"Comment from: Alex [Visitor]
One-Putt,

I believe you.

But how do you explain the number of supposedly knowledgeable Wiebots who are sure that Bubbles' "injury" occurred in Hawaii?"

Illiteracy maybe?

One-Putt,

I've suspected that many Wie-wee's were illiterate for some time now.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

Have anyone looked the angle that it could be the John Deere people who actually asked Wie to withdraw rather than her withdrawing voluntarily?

Michelle taking the positives is not something that is unique in golf. Most of the top players take the positives out of tournaments.

"Comment from: Oui Oui Oui [Visitor]
Have anyone looked the angle that it could be the John Deere people who actually asked Wie to withdraw rather than her withdrawing voluntarily?"

Great conspiracy theory Si Si Si, but I suspect Michelle had an epiphany while hitting balls in Florida.

Oui Oui Oui,

Bubbles has really thrown the John Deere people into her alphabet soup.

First she posted an MC, followed by a WD,
and finished up this year with a DNS.

the 7 lean years baby, the 7 lean years

No Alex, she doesn't get a DNS. That's for people who are supposed to play right up to the event. There is plenty of time for them to give out another sponsors exemption.
There is a rumour that the exemption is going to Nancy Lopez instead.

Wie graduated from Punahou, which I heard the students do college level work. Many of the students end up attending ivy league colleges. Obviously, she will need to work harder at Stanford as I am sure the work is much harder than the average college. However, didn't she say she will attend part-time so that she can also cont playing golf?

Johnny N,

Sponsor's exemption to the US Women's Open?

Shouldn't that spot go to the first alternate?

Just asking.

Stanley wrote:

"Michelle taking the positives is not something that is unique in golf. Most of the top players take the positives out of tournaments."

Stanley...Come on..she is not "taking the positives." In fact, there are no positives in shooting a 10 on a par 5, there are no positives being the only player in a field of 142 to withdraw with heat exhaustion. When Rocco Mediate took a 10 on the par 3 12th during the final round at Augusta last year, you did not hear him say: "Oh it was sooo funny..ball after ball kept plopping into the water as my name disappeared from the leader board." Also, you post used the phrase "most of the top players." You also used a similar phrase when referring to Bubbles predicted short college tenure. Stanley, how is she a "top" player when she has not won anything yet on a professional level. She has come close a few times, but we are not playing horse shoes.

LR

Paul,

I do not know anything about Punahou High School, but one would have to predict that Bubbles folks would have sent her to the best school available in the area. So I am sure that it is a quality school. However, in an interview last week she was predicting that Stanford University would be less time consuming than high school, and I do not recall her saying anything about attending college part time. This type of prediction is common place for Bubbles, she claimed that she was going to come in the top 20 at her second appearance at the Sony Open (she missed the cut by 7 that year); she claimed that she would not only make the cut at the Casio Open in Japan just prior to her first appearance, but instead she would win the whole tournament (she missed the cut by one).

So, nobody should be surprised that she thinks Stanfors is going to be easier and less demanding than Punahou high school and she will have ample time to be on the golf course.

Poor Bubbles,
Maybe Not. Since She is worth millions all she has to do is invest and retire. She could still probably get indorsements from other Idiots beside Nike, Sony, and Omega.
Ther are still people out there who believe she can play Professional golf.
Like Alex said let her play amateur golf the rest of her life as she can never recover. At least her mind can never recover as long as people keep telling her she can do it

Lance R,

I am not familiar with the policies of Stanford U. regarding freshmen students.

My youngest daughter attended and graduated from Northwestern U. in Evanston, IL. I also have a niece and goddaughter whom did the same from Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN.

At both of these private institutions there was a policy that incoming freshmen become "immersed" in the life of the college.

At both schools, freshmen were required to take a full course load. Part time enrollment was simply not tolerated.

Neither of the young ladies I mentioned had much spare time on their hands in that first year. Each had only a part time job of about twelve hours a week, and then not until the second semester.

I asked them about what impact, if any, Bubbles' taking of advanced placement classes in high school would have.

Their laughter was almost uproarious.

"Comment from: Alex [Visitor]
Johnny N,

Sponsor's exemption to the US Women's Open?

Shouldn't that spot go to the first alternate?

Just asking."

Michelle "qualified" for the U.S. Women's Open by finishing in the top twenty at the 2006 Open. The top 20 are invited to return each year.

Wie critics may not consider Michelle to be a top golfer--but the USGA would. There is no way the USGA would ever reinstate amateur status for Michelle Wie. To do so would make the entire concept of amateur golf a laughingstockm at least in their eyes.

Lance R,
When Michelle turned pro and people were asking about her future, she said she'll attend part-time. And it was wither her dad or spokesperson that said she'll only take a couple courses a semester.
All those "predictions" are probably what her management team has told her to tell the media. I'm not sure if those are her true beliefs. On the other hand, it is said smart people lack common sense.

Paul,

You may be right, she may be only attending part time. I Don't really know. But Alex's point is also very valid. Most prestigious private colleges (like Stanford) have onerous requirements for freshmen. I attended the University of Texas (Austin) and they had the same requirement for freshmen, even though they are not a private university. But we all must remember that we are talking about Bubbles here, and Stanford University may bend their rules just like the LPGA has in the past. It would not surprise me if they changed their policy just for her and let her take just as many or few of the classes that she wishes. Why not? every other organization has seemed to do this for her. But the one thing that they won't do is to give her a good grade just because she is Bubbles. And I think she will find that earning that grade is a little more rigorous and time consuming than high school (contrary to her current belief).

PS - Alex, congrats of getting the youngest through Northwestern, I have one in his last semester at the University of Illinois.

LR

You forget Lance, Michelle has completed her freshman year core requirements through Advanced Placement (AP) classes while at Punahou. She should easily pass a language proficiency test for that requirement and she could receive PE credit as a professional athlete with a private trainer.

Hmmmmmm what is left? Maybe front load some sophomore classes during the fall semester? Some electives second semester?

One-Putt,

Bubbles could easily pass a language proficiency test? In which language?

Sophomore classes in the fall semester?

O-P, now you're being silly.

Lance R.,

My two older daughters graduated from U, of Illinois. Both are teachers, and both have earned their master's degree.

The youngest daughter was a standout gymnast in college and now is in the cast of Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas and on tour.

One of my sons graduated from SIU and attained the rank of Captain in the USMC. He is now a reservist who served a year in Iraq and who may have to return in about six months. The other son graduated fron Ball State in Muncie,In, and received his law degree from U. of Michigan. He is a US Army reserve officer.

All excellent kids.

Alex wrote:
Johnny N,
Sponsor's exemption to the US Women's Open?
Shouldn't that spot go to the first alternate?
_________

Alex, if you read back you were talking about Michelle getting a DNS at the John Deere Classic and I said she pulled out early enough that there wouldn't be a DNS, and suggested that they might give the exemption to Nancy Lopez as a joke.

So the discussion wasn't to do with the US Women's Open.

Johnny N,

I realized my mistake right away.

I thought I had clarified it, but for some reason my post didn't take.

"Comment from: Alex [Visitor]
One-Putt,

Bubbles could easily pass a language proficiency test? In which language?

Sophomore classes in the fall semester?"

Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Island Pigeon, she speaks all of them Alex. English is a second language for Hawaiians Bro.

It may come as a surprise Alex, but Universities give college credit for AP classes. My son and daughter both took AP classes that were accepted by UCLA and USC. Both tested for their second language proficiency and were given credit.

One-Putt,

You're at it again!

Two years ago you were preedicting that Bubbles was a lock cinch to have won a ton of LPGA events by now including multiple majors.

She was to have made cuts on the PGA tour by now with relative ease. She would be mulling over the methods by which she would secure her PGA tour card.

Her endorsements were to have incresed exponentially, possibly to the tune of $220M USD.

Since none of this has happened or is likely to happen, you've hitched your wagon to Bubbles the child prodigy genius.

O-P, that ain't going to happen ,either.

If she attends Stanford for more than two semesters, it will be the result of some intense study on her part, NOT because she crammed a lot during her week-long absences from high school.

One-Putt,

This is WAY off topic.

When you say that your kids demonstrated proficiency in another language, I assume that you meant ability to comprehend, read, write, and speak that language to a fairly high degree.
That must be the reason that they received credit.

According to you, Bubbles SPEAKS the languages, to what degree you didn't say.

Also, Island Pidgin--not Pigeon--,is not a codified language at all. It is best described as an argot, a patois, or a lingua franca.

One could definitely NOT translate the Complete Works of Shakespeare into Island Pidgin.

In which languages other than English are your kids proficient?

Why do you people argue about things that you can look up?

From the Stanford University website:

"The Stanford University Advanced Placement policy allows up to 10 units of credit per discipline for some of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement examinations.

Stanford University awards a maximum of 45 units of credit for advanced placement examinations. AP examinations do not satisfy the General Education Requirements with the exception of the University Foreign Language requirement. AP scores of 4 or 5 in a foreign language satisfy the University Foreign Language requirement. AP credit may be applied as elective units toward graduation and toward the major if allowed by the major department. AP credit may be removed from your record if subsequent Stanford course work duplicates AP credit course content."

I am an AP teacher. Colleges do not give credit for AP classes. Some colleges give credit for passing AP examinations. That is what the AP class is supposed to prepare you for.

Stanford does not accept AP credit for General Education requirements except Foreign Language. They only award elective credit depending on the department. That tells me that Bubbles will still be a freshman regardless of how many AP classes and exams she may have passed. She will still have to take US History, College Algebra, two Science classes, and whatever else a degree in Economics requires for GE requirements.

If I were a Wie Warrior, I wouldn't be spending so much time defending her honor right now as I would be worrying about how she will qualify for any major next year. According to the recent rule changes, she currently does not qualify for either the Kraft Nabisco or the LPGA Championship next year. If she does poorly this week then how will she qualify for the US Women’s Open next year? If she doesn’t finish in the top 30 at the Women’s British Open then how will she qualify next year?

The Wie formula for playing on exemptions in limited tournaments works fine as long as she is playing well, as she did last year. But now that she is playing poorly, what will the Wie camp do? I assume they will have to start accepting exemptions to lesser LPGA tournaments in the hopes that she will regain her 2006 form, otherwise god forbid, she may actually have to either go to Q school and gain LPGA membership or try to qualify for a major the hard way by pre-qualifying.

Visitor,

Thanks for proving what any sensible person already knew. You had the good reasoning to look up the Stanford website, while I prefer to rattle the cages of the Wie Warriors.

Don't be a bit surprised if your lucid response is either ridiculed or ignored by the Wie-wee's.

That is the strong suit.

Thanks for clarifying that Alex.

I find it strange that people spend so much time discussing MW's college education.
Personally I don't care if she completes her course, does a couple of years and drops out, does one year and drops out, does one month and drops out or doesn't bother going there at all, as Esther Choe recently did, having got into university and signed up, she decided not to go after all and is instead going to turn pro and concentrate fully on golf. By the way Esther is the number 1 ranked junior female golfer, although she did nearly finished last at the Wegman. Good on Nancy for coming back and keeping these youngsters safe from last position.

Anyway, the point is, if she decides not to go, that's something Esther Choe did. If she decides to pull out after a while, that's something Julieta Granada did. So whatever she does as regards college, someone will have done it before so it is no big deal.

Johnny N,

It doesn't matter me, either.

We were just discussing if Stanford accepts Advanced Placement classesfor college credit.

It appears that they do not.

In any event, it's no big deal.

"The horror..."

Can we just end this? Even the negative pub MW gets is more than she deserves.

The point is that right now she stinks, relatively speaking. Injury or no injury. She doesn't merit the discussion.

2under,
Your suggestion to stop talking about MW is a vicious attack on womens golf.
Very few people could care less about any other female player.

Johnny N,

2under no doubt has similar thoughts about Bubbles as I do.

There is nothing that one could say about Bubbles that would be positive or complimentary concerning her play, her demeanor, or manners of late.

Even I, as a consommate Wie skeptic, get tired fo pointing out her poor play and total lack of social graces.

Last year at this time, prior to her precipitous decline, her backers at least had some things to crow about.

Now, anything said by her apologists in defense of her dismal performance and atrocious manners seems absurd to the max.

But if it makes your day, keep on singing her praises. It is entertaining at times. It also could be a case study in blind allegiance.

Nay we assume from these last posts that we have heard the last from 2under and Alex on the subject of Michlle Wie?

Even injured as she was at the LPGA Championship she played well enough to make the cut in an LPGA Major, so it is utterly ridiculous to say there is nothing complimentary to say about her play of late, although certainly she has not ben playing as well as she has in the past.

As far as manners and social graces are concerned, it has not been Michelle Wie who has been lacking these of late. Rather it has been all those who have been kicking someone when she is down.

As far as manners and social graces are concerned

I would not say English is a second language for "Hawaiians." It depends where you live and how you were raised.
Island Pidgin/ Pidgin English is another language- probably not official. It has it’s own spelling and grammar. I have seen so many non-Hawaii residents butcher it! Even some locals are not efficient in Pidgin including me. I can understand, but speak it for more than a couple of sentences? No.
Can Michelle speak Pidgin? I have never heard her speak it. Maybe a little island dialect, but not Pidgin English. And yes, there is a difference!

Alex,

What do you have against Wie and/or those Wie supporters? Why don't you just let them be?

You seem to be at grand fatherly age, don't people your age just sit back and enjoy the world around them and be more statesman like and not get engaged in petty discussions about a teenage girl?

Oui,

Please read my last post.

I believe that said it all.

I have nothing against Bubbles or the Wie-wee's.

In fact, I find them entertaining. Get it?

Alex,
There has been no bad manners from Michelle. She goes about her own business.
There have been some others who have complained about her, but as is typical of Michelle, she has risen above it and not insulted them back.

Whatever insults you may have about Michelle's performances, she herself is a very nice kid and deserves praise for that.

Oui,

Read Jim C's and Johnny N's posts.

These fellows are re-writing history.

They are the reasons that I like to needle Bubbles.

"That's Entertainment!"

Johnny N,

You have it all wrong. MW doesn't merit discussion. Those who perform do. Lately, that would be Ms. Ochoa.

So you call that an attack? I find your sentiment to be an attack on the women's game. You seem to believe the only discussion about the game is substantiated by hype, not by the merit of the ladies' game.

Now don't get me wrong, I do believe the womens' game is inferior, and not worthy of the attention it receives. MW is just one example. But you beat me to the punch, my dear friend.

Johnny N,

Bubbles has displayed no bad manners?

With that statement, you have put your stamp of approval on the way Bubbles treated her pro-am playing partners at the Ginn Tribute as well as the LPGA championship.

You have said that it is perfectly acceptable for a teenage girl to treat with disdain her elders, ladies who contributed their own monies to charitable causes for the privilege and enjoyment of playing a round with an LPGA touring pro.

Maybe your reply will be that Bubbles never did anything of the sort, and that these jealous old buddies made up the whole thing to discredit Bubbles.

Alex,

If the inmates in the Asylum decide to throw a party, those at the outside world probably should leave them be.

As for bashing Wie for 'bad manners', I think that is excessive. There are plenty of athletes that fit that description. Christie Kerr is known to be curt and rude to the public.

Oui,

This is a message board. People post message here. You and I are two such people.

If only those on one side of any issue chose to or were allowed to post their opinions, we wouldn't have much of a message board, now would we?

Everything posted here is anonymous, and everything I post is in a spirit of "devil's advocate."

Chiding 17 year old Bubbles for bad manners is not excessive. And if other athletes and celebrities are similarly ill-mannered, that does not make such conduct acceptable.

Bubbles fits the description perfectly of a spoiled, snot-nosed brat.

Christie Kerr is somewhat of an enigma to me.

But she is a grown woman, and even though she has won several times on the LPGA tour, that doesn't give her any right to act like a snob.

And if Bubbles wants to use Christie as a role model, that also doesn't make it right.

Oui, I will continue to post here as frequently and on whatever subject I choose, just as you will.

As I said, it's entertainment.

This is only tangential, but I would like to point out that Jay Williamson almost won the PGA tournament this past weekend; he lost in a playoff but, by virtue of his performance, regained his tour privileges. Now, I mention this because he got into the event on a SPONSOR'S EXEMPTION. And, of course, if Bubbles had received his exemption, he wouldn't have been there.

I just wanted to point that out for all you Wiebots who say that she couldn't possibly be taking the spot of a man who could be a contender.

Judge Smails,

On the subject of sponsors' exemptions, Bubbles has also received an exemption to the Samsung in October.

Since only twenty female golfers get into the tournament, of necessity at least one golfer with a superior record than Bubbles will be shut out of competing. Of course, the Wiebots will see nothing unjust in this situation

If Bubbles has the slightest sense of fair play, she will decline the invitation to the Samsung.

Oh boo hoo to that forever unkown contender.