Is Michelle Wie delusional, lag putt debate and how to hit fairway woods from different lies

Her words are reminiscent of Woody Austin's rant on how he outplayed Tiger at the PGA. The thing about Woody is, he's had 43 years to cultivate his peculiar brand of insanity, while Wie has had neither the hard knocks nor the years. So, is she on a five-year or a six-year, non-winning streak now? Not since she was 13, at the US Publinks, right?

When Michelle states that "there is a fine line between shooting a 64 to shooting an 80" the girl is delusional! I find it incredible how poorly her career has been handled. When her Father said "I want Michelle to be rich and well educated" and failed to mention anything about golf, I found that rather alarming. However, everything is starting to fall in place. I think Michelle still thinks that 2008 will be a repeat of 2006 with the exemptions to the PGA and the LPGA. Do not plan on her joining the LPGA this October. The saga continues.

Joe Cool,

Bubbles just can't decide to "join" the Lpga and continue playing tournaments at her leisure.

There is that little matter of the Qualifying school, something which virtually all the ladies on the LPGA tour have been through, including Annika and Lorena.

Sectional qualifying begins in California on Sept. 19 and in Florida on Oct. 2, with the final 90 holes in Florida on Nov 28.

If Bubbles and her parents are serious about her attending college, all of this would be close to impossible.

It would be unprecedented for the LPGA to simply grant full tour status to someone as eminently unqualified as Bubbles with out her getting her "Q" school credentials.

Unless a whole lot of sponsors get collective amnesia, I don't see her receiving anymore exemptions. Any mystique she may have had, any attractive qualities, have surely dissipated by now. Would anybody anywhere go out of his or her way to see Bubbles hack it around? I don't think so.

Barring some extraordinary happenings, I think we/ve all seen the last of Bubbles' golfing career for the foreseeable future. She may give it a feeble try at the Samsung, but even that seems doubtful.

We skeptics of Bubbles will have to find something else about which to write.

"...when the Evian Masters, British, Canadian events come around, she will be strong and swinging it well. Then she should be in a position to really contend."
2007-06-25 @ 20:04


Michelle Wie is well on the road to recovery and that is great news for women's golf.
Permalink 2007-08-02 @ 16:48

Michelle is working her way back into form
Permalink 2007-08-01 @ 09:57

...through the Evian and British, she has been returning to form nicely, her wrist getting stronger, her shots more consistant. You will do well to realise that you had your fun while she shot some rounds in the 80s while trying to regain her strength in her wrist and form after such a long layoff, but you should realise that, that fun is over. She showed at the Evian & British that she was well on the road to getting back towards the top 5 in the women's game, and with the Canadian Open and Safeway Classic played, she may well have contended in 2007 on the lpga tour.
Permalink 2007-08-02 @ 20:29

Michelle Wie finished 35 back at McDonalds, and 2 months later she finished 20 back at the the Evian. That could be considered quite an improvement.
2007-07-31 @ 00:18

Michelle Wie may not be delusional, but her fans certainly are...

Funny Stuff,

Well done, my man! Your post says it all.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy in the MW saga is the fact that her name continues to be spoken in the same sentence or paragraph as real superstars. Lorena Ochoa has all the qualitiies one would want in a golfing champion. Skill that could potentially challenge the great Annika, composure, modesty, sense of doing things for others (sound familiar, I mean who really looks more like a Tiger...the only thing MW has is Nike and money), and is nothing but completely genuine in her dealings with the press. Lorena, with all her accomplishments is able to state directly that she messed up this hole or that hole, or that she is disappointed that she couldn't finish this or that tournament. Fact is though, those questions are likely a thing of the past after her recent incredible run. What does MW do in similar situations, well there's the "its a fine line" crap. There's the, "I hit one fairway today so I know what I have to do, its like you know a work in progress you know". There's the "this is my first injury and you know like maybe i well you know i don't know". There's the "i thought I was actually shooting a 65 out there, my score really didn't reflect how I was playing". At this point the media should stop the nonsense, move one and never even whisper her name along with any of those that deserve the attention. I started out cheering for the kid, that is until I heard her open her mouth with the nonsense of playing in the Masters, and Ryder Cup etc. I almost forgave that early on as youthful exuberance. It is now apparent that she is completely delusional, perhaps in need of professional psychiatric assistance, certainly in need of an education, and is merely a spoiled teen with absolute no grasp of reality. I do feel sorry for her, but I do think she is in large part to blame for her situation, not to diminish the blame her parents and sponsors deserve. Good luck at school MW. Drop out of the Samsung and we'll see you at Q school in 4 years. Pity you didn't have good advisors because you could have been a fairly decent college player with a bit of a future ahead of you. You've played through you future now and that is sad.

Alex,

Do you remember earlier in 2007 when Michelle Wie had delayed her comeback through the Kraft and other events due to injury and you predicted that she wouldn't play at all in 2007 and then you said that she might play 2-3 events at most.

Well she has played 7 and is scheduled to have played the maximum 8 events.
It hasn't been easy for her. She played without her usual level of distance. She played with an injury and even had to withdraw from a couple of early events, just like Natalie Gulbis, both withdrew from 2 events coming back off their injuries. Luckily for Gulbis it was a very quick injury that healed completely very quickly for her, despite the initial setbacks she had.

For Wie, she had a wrist injury, and came back too early, played very hard, shot some scores in the eighties, unconcerned about the high scores she would shoot or the scoring average it would give, unconcerned about ruining her major record where her worst placing had been 33rd and she never had missed a cut, unconcerned that she would ruin her record of not having missed a cut since she was 13 on the lpga tour. None of that stuff bothered Michelle because she just wanted to get out there and play golf. She wasn't concerned with scoring averages or anything like that, she just wanted to play the game.

Michelle Wie is a great role model.

For those of us who have worked in golf for years and have watched her swing progress, since she came back, it was more apparent at the Safeway than any of the other tournaments that her swing was really starting to come back. Even Judi mentioned this.

However the return of a great swing, doesn't necessarily mean instant results. It takes some time to dial in the irons and get the whole game together, but I confidently predict that she will win on in 2008 on the lpga tour.

Stanley,

That's some glowing praise from someone who just a few days ago said that he could no longer be a fan of Bubbles since she obviously didn't take practice seriously and would further damage her career by her insistence on going to college and getting a degree.

But since you have jumped back on the B ubbles bandwagon and again confidently predicted an LPGA win for her in 2008, perhaps you can answer a few questions that a skeptic might ask.

For instance, how is this great role model going to get in any LPGA events? Do you think that she will breeze through "Q" school?

Or will she get her lobbying machine in motion to attempt to get additional sponsors' exemptions?

How will she get any spots in the majors?

Inquiring minds want to know.

MW did not play any of those tournaments "unconcerned" about the high scores or the high averages. As she put it: She does not think about shooting those scores nor does she feel she plays that badly. After all, there is a fine line between a 79 and a 64! She played because she actually thought she was going to do well! You are giving her way too much credit, Stanley! She is definitely delusional. All you have to do is hear her comments about the scores not reflecting how well she really played, about the "fine line" and the many other dumb remarks she makes. There is no fine line between the way she is playing and the way those ladies shooting those 60-somes -- there is a World of difference!!! But, she does not seem to see that. Delusional indeed!!!

Stanley,

Before the Canadian Open, among other things, here is what Michelle said:

"But I have to say a victory (in Edmonton) would be pretty sweet. I'm looking forward to that day. I'm going to savour it and I'm working really hard to get it."

Does that sound like she was playing "unconcerned" about her high scores or delusional about her chances of winning? Don't answer that one -- her missed cut, again, already answered it!

She is 17 for gods sakes. You are criticising a 17 year old girl for not making the cut in pro events while ignoring the fact that she is regularly finishing higher than a lot of far more experienced players. You are morons. Utter morons.

Stanley,

You seem to have a lot of insde knowledge about Bubbles' "injury" and its severity. You have quite often cited the alleged injury as the sole reason for Bubbles' precipitous decline.

With that in mind, maybe you could answer these questions:

When did the "injury" occur?

Where did the "injury" occur?

What was the nature of the "injury?" (sprain, fracture, torn ligament)

Where and by whom was she treated?

What were the immediate and long-term prognoses of the "injury?"

As I said previously, inquiring minds want to know, and you seem to have all the answers concerning Bubbles and her amazing career.

David,

Thank you for your brilliant and insightful comments. You must have thought long and hard to come up with something so puerile.

I have tried to stay away from any MW controversy. Mainly because I do not feel strongly in the either LOVE/HATE departments. I started to be interested in golf because of Tiger Woods. A few years later I started to pay attention to the LPGA, first to Annika, and then Lorena. As a Mexican I cheered her victories, and mourned her loses. Specially the times that she was so close, but because of the pressure, she was not able to "close the deal". Now more than ever her mental state is in par with her technical skills.
Anyway...regarding Michelle I have a few comments (both good and bad):

For all those who think she walks on water:
Yes. She is only 17 and she has talent. Even without any wins we can appreciate it. Nonetheless, a few years ago, she was considered the savior of golf, not only the LPGA, but the PGA as well. Maybe it was the fault of the media, the fans, parents or the marketing machine behind her. I read that when asked what would she do if she got bored in the LPGA she answered she was going to play left-handed. Youthfull indiscretion? or just plain Hubris?
What I am saying is that you cannot have it both ways. She is a phenomenon when she plays great, but we have to understand that she is only 17 if she does not. Also... forget about the 88 rule. Let us assume it was the wrist. What I cannot understand is the lack of apology. If a friend invites me to the movies and I leave 20 minutes before it finishes, common courtesy rules dicatates that I shall apologize and explain my leaving. And if she does not feel the need to apologize, then her problems are bigger than not playing great at the moment.

Now for those who find every little thing she does wrong:
1. When I read the complaints about her endorsement deals it seems as if you have written her a check and not Nike, or Sony. If MW does not deliver..those endorsements will dry up. The same will occur with the tournament's exemptions. If the sponsors do not believe she brings something to the table then they will not ask her back. They are the ones footing the bill and should be able to ask anybody. The latest controversy is the Samsung Tournament. Should she be in the field? Not based on her golfing results of this year. Maybe next year Samsung will wait to see if their invitee has the goods to compete with the rest othe the "elite" field.

At the end of the day... I feel sad to see somebody who went from enjoying the game to looking miserable. Yes.... i would love for her to be a Hall of Famer. But at this point I would settle for a well-mannered happy 17 year-old.

David...it is just like Irma alluded to. MW gave up being "just a kid" when she turned pro. Plus, just about all the MW fans and media were heralding her as better than Tiger and other unbelievable things. Now, you can only play the "she's only 17" card for about another 6 weeks or so and then she is an adult (legally atleast) and she will no longer be a phenom, just one of many talented golfers who are struggling on the LPGA tour... that is if she gets through Q-school or somehow manages to play well when she receives a sponsor's exemption..gee, I hope she wasn't counting on those... most sponsor's like players who treat their Pro-Am partners nicely. Last tidbit here... she will actually have to qualify for any of the majors next year. Wouldn't it be horrific if the "best golfer ever" couldn't even get through qualifying.... somehow, that would not surprise me.

Irma,

Didn't you write on another thread that English is not your first language?

If this is true-and I have no reason to believe otherwise-then I would have to say that in all my sixty-five years, I never encountered a person with better command of the English language whose first language was one other than English.

Your usages of syntax, punctuation, denotation and connotation are excellent. Congratulations.

Funny Stuff,

As an addendum to your litany of delusional posts by the Wie-wee's, I offer these gems by none other than Wiebot numero uno, Stanley

On August 21st, Stanley, in obvious disgust over Bubbles' poor play and missed cut at the Canadian Open, posted these remarks:

"---I won't stick up for Michelle anymore. Her golf game is in tatters and her answer is to go off and p*** about at Stanford. That is not the way to get your game back. If Michelle wants fans, she should get serious about golf."

"What she is too immature to realise is that it takes a big commitment to get the game in order and that takes time on the golf course, not in the classroom."

He went on to say that Bubbles would miss the cut by three shots at the Safeway.

But now one week later, on August 28th, Stanley has done a 180 degree turnaround. He has reverted to his old status as Grand Exalted Wie Warrior first class.

Now, Stanley again confidently predicts that Bubbles will surely win in 2008 on the LPGA tour. Why is he so sure? Well, he and several other knowledgeable folks "in the golf businees" have seen her getting her swing back

And where did this remarkable transformation take place? Why, just last week at the Safeway, where, incidentally, Bubbles didn't miss the cut by three strokes as Stanley had predicted, but by SIX STROKES.

In his last post, Stanley praises Bubbles to high heaven for her steely grit, her raw courage, as she played unconcerned with her high scores, missed cuts, withdrawals, or anything else. She just wanted to get out on the course and mix it up, that's how much she enjoys the heat of battle. (Maybe that is a poor analogy considering Bubbles' withdrawal at the 2006 Deere due to "heat exhaustion)

Now, because of her display of perseverance, she is to Stanley, "a great role model."

Funny Stuff, I'm not sure that delusional is a strong enough word for that sort of rant. Schizophrenic might be more applicable.

Thanks Alex. That is a very nice compliment. I was fortunate enough to go to school in the US and try to visit as often as I can. I do not mind people disagreeing with my comments but I wanted the readers to focus on my arguments and not on grammar and/or spelling errors.

And the beat goes on.

David wrote:
"She is 17 for gods sakes. You are criticising a 17 year old girl for not making the cut in pro events while ignoring the fact that she is regularly finishing higher than a lot of far more experienced players. You are morons. Utter morons".

Welcome to these posts David, we have been running out of Wie-wees like yourself and could use a few more for argument purposes. But pertaining to your post, what experienced player has Wie been "regularly" defeating? She has not been coming in dead last, but what decent LPGA player has she been consistently beating? It appears to me that with her back-to-back-to-back missed cuts and two WDs, she has been getting her tail kicked by most all of the experienced except for maybe 50+ year-old Nancy Lopez.

Just curious...

Wow.....she is a child that was placed on a pedestal by the very media now trashing her. Who's fault is that?
Our fascinations with teenage phenoms doesn't allow us
the courtesy of viewing them as humans too.
I don't really follow golf but I think that the LPGA would be well served to try to find a way to allow her to work out whatever ails her and let her come back. I think she probably fell victim to believing her own press at some misguided point. If she can come back from all this bad press (and bad play)she is a very strong person.

Christine,

I am glad you stated that you don't really follow golf.

The LPGA has no provision for "letting Michelle Wie come back" since she is not now nor never has been an LPGA member.

She will not be 18 until next month, but she has not yet applied for membership.

If she truly wants to become an LPGA member, the path she could take is quite simple.

If she were to send in her application and the entry fee to the LPGA qualifying tournament, commonly known as the "Q" school, by September 11, she will be placed in the field(s) for the sectionals in either California on Sept. 19-22 and/or Florida on Oct 2-5.

If she were to finish either sectional in the top thirty and ties, she would be automatically in the finals of the tourney, the 90 hole grind in Florida Nov. 28-Dec 2. You see, it should be very easy for someone with her skills.

Virtually all of the top touring women pro's (Annika, Lorena, Paula, and Morgan to name but a few) have taken this route to eempt membership on the LPGA tour.

If Miss Wie doesn't seek to become an LPGA member by these traditional means, it would strongly suggest that she has no desire to be an LPGA member and a regular touring professional.

You must be advised that virtually all the previous tournaments in which Miss Wie has played she was entered by virtue of sponsors' exemptions. Even those where she was exempt this year like the Evian where she finished second in 2006, she was first allowed by a sponsor's freebie.

And ALL her ill-fated and ill-advised forays into men's events were on sponsors' exemptions.

Christine wrote:

"I think she probably fell victim to believing her own press at some misguided point. If she can come back from all this bad press (and bad play)she is a very strong person."

Christine, from the early stages, Michelle (Bubbles) is the one that thumbed her nose at the LPGA and predicted participation in the PGA's Ryder Cup and Masters. Bubbles is the one who predicted that she would WIN (not just make the cut) in the Casio Championship in Japan (a men's event). Bubbles is the one that predicted a top 20 finish in the Sony Open when she was 14. Bubbles is the one who has time and time again insisted that the LPGA was not good enough for her, and she needed to compete against the men who were more her speed. While I am not a great fan of the press and know who quickly they can turn on an athlete, I don't think you can blame them for this one. Bubbles "fell victim" to her own overwhelming arrogance.

As far as her being a strong person, perhaps, time will tell.

LR

MW can apply to join LPGA at 18. The real issue is will she have exempt or non-exempt status to play in tournaments. Alex outlines the Q school route - but, I think the top 40 money winners of the last two years also earn exempt status. MW earned over 700k in 2006 - so she might be able to earn exempt status by the 'top 40' money winners method.

MW is an example that parents dont always know best.

Bob C

Bob C,

My understanding is that the top 40 money winners of the last two years among LPGA MEMBERS are exempt.

Of course, all these rules are apparently open to interpretation and subjectivity.

An even bigger issue is how could a full-time freshman college student play anywhere close to full-time on any tour.

You are correct that BJ and Bo are not the best of parents, but you'll never get the Wie Warriors to agree with you on that one.

And at least a few of the diehards are sure that Bubbles makes all her own decisions and even dictated the terms of her contract to Phil Knight and her other benefactors.

Based on what I read, Alex is partly correct -- most exemptions apply to LPGA members. They actually range from one to five year exemptions. A three-time winner in a single season, for example, gets a five-year exemption. See http://www.lpga.com/content/2007PLAYERROSTER.pdf

Looks like there are about 18 different categories of exempions, but, again, for LPGA members. There are also other type of "tournament" exemptions, sponsor's being the most common and the one MW has used. For the US Wommen's Open, there are 13 different type of exemptions, including the top-40 in the money list. Maybe this is what is creating some confusion. This exempion, for members and non-members is only for the US Women's Open, however. See http://www.usga.org/news/2005/june/2005_39.html

At least this is the way I read all this...

So, it seems to me that MW cannot just "apply" to become a member, but I may be wrong... I think the answer is, indeed, Q-school...

Typing too fast...

Of course, I meant "Women's" and "exemption." But, you knew what I meant...

Lance,

You're absolutely correct. Many people don't realize it, but the Bubbles of a few years ago was one of the most arrogant athletes since Ali. And, as I've stated before, had a boy made the same statements, he would have been castigated for his hubris. This, despite the fact that such pronouncements would have been more realistic coming from a promising junior boy.

As I've also said before, Bubbles -- if she's not as thick as she seems -- is learning a valuable lesson. To wit: He who exalts himself will be humbled.

francois,

I read your link and other literature on the subject of LPGA exempt status.

Their rules seem to be almost deliberately nebulous. Certain key stipulations seem also to be intentionally omitted.

These sort of "rules" will always evoke subjective interpretation.

But after doing just a bit of investigation, I can find no instance of the LPGA issuing credentials to the LPGA tour without prior qualifying.

All the present stars on that tour such as Annika, Lorena, Morgan, Paula, Ai Miyazato, all and the young Korean ladies first made it to the tour through "Q" school.

Alex,

Yes, some of the rules are not easy to interpret. I am certain, however, that "the top-40 on the money list" rule applies to the US Women's Open and not to LPGA membership.

As you already mentioned the dates, time is running out for our young "phenom" to apply for Q-school (this year, that is).

By the way, lets make sure we wish MW happy birthday in about five weeks. I propose that, on October 11, we only write good, congratulatory remarks about her. I think we should declare that day "I-can-no-longer-use-the-I-am-just-17-excuse" Day!

Did we already pass the "I-can-no-longer-be-the-youngest-LPGA-winner" Day? Maybe not, but I am sure that is fast approaching also!

Unfortunately, the "bottom line" for BJ and Bo was show us the money. Of course, we do not know how the Nike and Sony contracts were written up. I doubt both companies would be thrilled should MW elect to attend Stanford for the next four or more years. As it is, October 11th is fast approaching and a decision will have to be made. As BJ said, "I want Michelle to be rich and well educated."

Child abuse is a crime but this kind for you don't
go to jail for. That's a shame