Michelle Wie fires her caddie- I won't be applying

A good manager doesn't blame his/her employees.

This was also an unexpected move, however, it is not like Johnson will have to go to a homeless shelter. If he has talent, he should be able to get employed soon.

Even married couples get divorced over choosing television channels, why can't a golf player try a different caddy ? It is not about blame, but sometimes you want to have a different perspective of the game.

In a sense, this is overblown. If Joe Schmo changed his caddie, would anyone even hear it from the news ? The media calls it 'fired' and sounds like a big deal, but it is a termination of contract.

Wie might as well put a revolving door on her golf bag. She'll be one of those players who goes through caddies the way other golfers go through socks. Caddies will want to work for her because her daddy will pay them well and she'll finish high enough that they'll make money, but they'll know their tenure will only last as long as her next bad tournament, misread of a putt, rules infraction or even another DQ. I know it's against caddie etiquette, but I'd like to hear Greg's side of the real inside story of "team Wie."

If I were Greg, I would write a book on Team Wie. Now that should be interesting....

Jay,
"Fired" is the term pro caddiies use when they are told by their player that their services are no longer needed. In many, probably most, cases a contract does not exist. It's just a handshake and you're on your way. Sometimes the relationship lasts a week, sometimes a decade or more. Most players have the class to tell the caddies themselves that they're fired. That BJ or Michelle didn't tell Greg is shabby.

For Wie a caddie is a guy (or girl) who will show up, keep up, and shut up. At the end of the day though it's the caddie that will get the blame for any mishap that may occur.

I would image a caddie for her has a contract deal.

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/golf/story/0,,1838234,00.html

The last two thirds of this article is interesting, some insight to the Wies.

I doubt you were in the running ;-) Seriously, I can think of four or five names who'd probably listen to overtures from Daddy Wie, including Fanny Sunesson if she were available. The identity of Wie's next caddy might be as entertaining as Johnston's laughably short tenure. I can imagine John Daly picking up her bag for a weekend, for one -- and Wie signing over her winnings for the lesson, like she needs the $720,000 that would put her in 14th place on the 2006 money list if they counted 16 year old Hawaiians.

Not Fanny -- If I recall correctly, she carried for Michelle for several tournaments in early 2005 while BJ was auditioning pro caddies for Michelle. I have the impression that she was quite happy not to accept the full-time job working for BJ.

Golfer For Life

How is that article an "Insight to the Wies" where it couldn't have been more subjective.
There was such an obvious slant to the story, I'm surprised you took it seriously.

Although I don't agree with the way Johnston was let go, its absolutely ridiculous to trash someone's character for something that happens in golf all the time.

The only difference is it involves Michelle Wie and there are a lot of immature bashers out there.

People get fired from their jobs all the time. Rarely, anyone tells the real story as there is always two sides to the story. Who knows how Johnston was let go--remember he just got fired so he can say anything and let's wait until if the Wie side has anything to say about this.

Does anybody really know what a good caddy does? No you won't, unless you are a pro golfer who has a caddy, even then, each relationship is different and different players look for different things out of their caddies. Read the recent article about Stevie Williams and his relationship with Tiger Woods. They just happen to fit, but he was let go by Greg Norman earlier. If things don't work, things don't work. Fluff Cowan was let go by Tiger and who knows what the story is there also. Jim Furyk and Fluff seem to work well.

I don't see Michelle wanting anybody's sympathy so who cares if you don't feel sorry for her. She's had a good summer by any standard. And I don't think Michelle is losing sleep because you like her less. No one reallly cares if you like her, dislike her or not feel sorry for her. You take yourself much too seriously.

Puleez, spare us that petty and childish tone to all these blogs about Michelle or anyone else for that matter.

She fired her caddy, which hardly equates to tax evasion or teachers who molest their students. Exemptions are offered to her, she accepts the exemptions, she places in the top five (except for the last tournament), and she does her job. Tell me how does one golfer firing a caddy go straight to teachers who molest students?

You've just insulted people who've really been molested by their teachers, or share holders who have lost investments because of corporate tax evasion and tell me how do you justify what you've written.

She accepts penalties without whining which shows accountability. So now that you like her less, maybe we won't hear from you about Michelle because it's really a waste of your time to be writing about someone you don't like. Write about something or someone that you like.

So Spencer...tell us..how many Pro's fire their Caddies? A bunch, ya think? Did you know that Ben Hogan NEVER listened to a Caddie, save for dierections to the nearest men's room?
Michelle might or might not be easy to work with...but she certainly needs someone besides the half wit she had. One day he will find people she trusts besides her father...much like Tiger did. And we know how tolerant and forgiving he is.
So...spare us the self righteous nonsense. Besides..and I'm only guessing...you really couldn't handle dealing with Michelle. Too much woman.

Caddie - player relationships are informal contracts at best. If a caddie and player are not in sinc they simply part ways. This would be just another non-story if it didn't involve Michelle.

You make it sound like Michelle goes through caddies left and right--

Her only caddies have been her Dad and Greg period.

The other few caddies have been have just been one or two timers like Fluff and Fanny based on who was available for a certain tournament.

I would have parted ways after the Samsung miscue. We don't know what transpired on the course at the British Open, but they seemed to distance themselves from each other during the tournament.

If a player loses confidence in a caddie addios.

Don't get to help the player with advice, don't get to help with greens reading, don't get to help with the rules.... Well paid, glorified pack mule...

I'm not saying she is the only person to ever fire her caddie, and I'm not saying I expect her to have a Watson-Bruce Edwards type relationship with her employee. I just think it is a very unappealing job, and I think Wie (and her crew) are hurting her popularity rather than helping it at this point (especially by not firing Johnston personally). And with her winless streak building, her popularity doesn't need any further hits.

What type of person will be a good caddie for Wie? I think she'll have trouble finding someone who does the job to her liking.

The reason Tiger got rid of Fluff in my best estimation is that Tiger's work ethic probably didn't match up that well with Fluff's style. Can anyone imagine Fluff getting on photographers the way Steve Williams does?

Greg- did you really say she is "too much woman?"

Kyle and the other Wie Warriors. If you can step away from your mindless worship of a teenage girl -- disturbing on the face of it -- ponder these three paragraphs alone.

I believe they are all absolutely correct.
*****
At the John Deere Classic, Daniel Chopra, a contestant, said: 'She has the opportunity to become the greatest woman player history has ever known and she's wasting it by not playing the LPGA tour.'

But B.J., Michelle's father, summed it up when he said that the critics simply did not 'fully understand the capitalistic market mechanism'. What cannot be said is that B.J. himself does not understand it.

Since his daughter turned professional on 11 October 2005, one informed estimate of her total income is $18 million. Sony and Nike have both contributed $5 million each; sufficient, surely, for a few dreary hours in front of the rulebook.
*****
Chopra comment: It is correct that Michelle Wie is missing a chance to be a top player on the LPGA. Dominance, however, is transitory, and can come, go, come and go, as even Annika has discovered. Had she taken theTiger and Creamer routes, in a few years she would POSSIBLY have learned how to win. There are no guarantees.

Overlord Wie comment: He is correct. This is capitalism. Michelle is attempting to make an incredible amount of money and this is the best way to do it. One of the rules of the free market, which I embrace: Strike while the iron's hot. Its possible that the interest in Wie could fade had she taken the amateur route.

Writer's final comment: Absolutely correct. If you're getting paid that much money, there is no excuse for not knowing basic Golf 101 rules. And yes, when I was a THIRTEEN YEAR OLD BOY -- playing golf sans salary, like 99.9 percent of the world -- I knew that in a bunker, you get at least one stroke counted against you anytime you hit ANYTHING IN THE BUNKER. You swing the club in the air. You chop down, blast down, hit it thin, play it sideways, but you make sure you follow precisely two rules of thumb:
1. GET IT OUT OF THE FRACKING BUNKER IN ONE SHOT !!!!
2. Hit stuff (and your ball) ONLY ON YOUR DOWNSWING

Bay Golfer

BJ doesn't understand the "capitalistic market mechanism"? His 16 yr old daughter will make about $18,000,000 in her first year as a pro? Sounds to me as though he understands things just fine. The LPGA wants to "own" Michelle like they want to "own" press photography. The LPGA is zealously trying to enforce the collection of "deck chair & umbrella fees" while the Titanic is sinking.

One Putt-- From what I know, Greg was hired just as a temp for the Samsung, since he was Juli Inkster's caddy. When Juli Inkster fired Greg over the fact that the Wie's had not asked her permission first, Greg became available on a long term basis.

It seems to me that Wie Johnston was a bit of a shotgun marriage. The Wies never planned to take him on long term, and after the Samsung it is quite possible that they really didn't want to do so. But since their hiring him cost him his job with Inkster they picked him up on a longer term basis. Johnston basically got a 10 month trial.

You have to wonder about someone who doesn't even say goodbye herself and then continues a consistant pattern of blaming everyone else. Yes, as has been said, she is only 16 but this really starting to look like the most poorly advised and mismanaged potential golf superstar ever.

Hey Jim,
FYI Inkster did not fire her caddie. When she took a tournament off, Johnston tried out with Wie. She found success. Wie's team then put the offer on the table for a take it NOW or leave it to join her team. Considering Inkster's career is winding down and he is supporting a family, he took the offer and there is now hard feelings between Johnston and Inkster. In fact, Inkster was disappointed that it was an instant one-time offer and that she didn't get time to transition with Johnston.

My bad...it should read "no hard feelings"

Hey K...

Imagine Inkster being scowling mad, could she get any uglier?

Worse than that, imagine trying to caddie for Wie? First tee shot of the event, having to go through her management team, then mom, then dad, then finally wait for Bubbles to say like, but that would only take about 14 seconds...

Sad situation...

Bill
"Worse than that, imagine trying to caddie for Wie?"

Its a five-figure paycheck per tourney. I would imagine many people could
"muddle through" somehow. Some may enjoy the company of the Wie family. They
seem to be intellegent, goal driven, well-respected people (despite the drivel
being spewed by the astroturf hacks).

Mike

Please provide me some links that I can read that she blamed 'someone else' for not winning. I know she has given some excuses that really should not have be used, but she has, to my knowledge, taken responability for her actions and not blamed anyone but herself.

Wie needs to get to a 4-Day USGA/PGA rules workshop ASAP. Knowing the basic rules of golf is GOLF 101. You can't rely on a rules official to help you out after you incur a rules infraction!

Rick...

Everyone who plays the game should spend some money and attend a USGA seminar. Fortunately, the people who are officials at a tour event are some of the best in the business. They have attended and scored in the top 90%+ of all taking the schools. Then in order to get to the level where they would be considered for a tour event, they must attend and scoree high in the advanced seminars.

Meet one of these people, they can tell you the rule, the rule number, and where you can find it off their head. I don't mean the basic book either, they can quote the decisions book.

I am a PGA Pro, and have attended three of these seminars for recertifiction. These people at the events are like Top Gun, "the best of the best". Unfortuantely, there are players all over the course, and these folks are hooked up through radio contact. When they get to a competitor with a rules question, they have to go through questioning the competitors and have to rely on their honest accessments of what happened and make a ruling from there.
If necessary, have the player watch video after the round is completed...

If you remember Wie I, it happened when a sports writer questioned her drop, not a rules official, not a fellow competitor, not a caddie, a writer. Then video backed his observance.

Wie II is plain stupdity on her part caught on video. She simply grounded her club on the backswing... 2 shots, thank you, cost her how much? Kids learn what she was penalized for in junior golf camps at age 8. Oh yea, Wie didn't to play junior golf...

Back to rules.....www.usga.org. Will cost you probably $250 to attend for registration and books, plus travel to site, hotel room (and they don't have these at Motel 6), and meals. But well worth it...

Ok everybody, we know how you feel about your rule book. But let's get to the nitty gritty, if you break the rules you get penalized, in any sport. Michelle has broken the rules twice and paid the penality both times. In both instance, she said she learned from it. I guess for all of you bashers, that to make a big issue out of it is the only way you can feel you are better than she is, get over it, she did.

I followed her (and some others...) all the week in Evian, practice rounds included, and take some pictures of her and her caddie.
The relationship with her caddie seems to be not at his very best in Evian.
Johnston NEVER helps Michelle for a club selection or for reading a green, he just give the clubs, clean the clubs, and carry the clubs, with not a word or a smile for his player, not any encouragement, but perhaps this caddie behaviour was a request from Michelle and her parents.
Johnston was very nervous with the gallery and also with the media (I was) working more like a bodyguard than a caddie. Too much in my opinion. Protect the star, OK, but too much is too much, and there is a more cool manner to do that.
Michelle made some enormous erros on short shots, specially on little par 3, followed by discussions with Johnston, but I think that the error was made by Michelle, punching hardly her wedges when not necessary to do that kind of "Azinger's" difficult move.

Evidently, mood was not very good in this team in Evian. I never see Michelle's parents and Johnston talking a single word together...

Why not Fanny now ? Who knows ?

http://www.pbase.com/isogood/evian_masters_2006&page=all

Patrick

TW...

Your rule book is the way the game is played... Everyone who plays the game is supposed to follow the rules. Everyone who plays should take the time to learn the rules. When your income is dependent upon knowing the rules, your income suffers.

Not bashing, but in her case, she was to good to go to junior camps to learn the rules. She was awesome, could hit it a mile, could sting a iron, was head and shoulders above...but she never learned the rules...

She has been penalized twice and paid the price. When does it happen again? Instead of being in the spotlight for winning, it is for ignornace...

Cop stops you for speeding, bet you tell them enough about your rules, don't tel me why you stopped me, just give me the ticket...

My information given above was intended to inform those who want to learn the game peoperly and how to get involved, some are to ignorant to learn...

Bill,

So she is learning the rules at the same age in a different format, why is that wrong? She is the one that has chose it, not anyone else. Why does the golf world think that every one has to do things the same way. This is America and I thought people were free to live their lives the way they want too. If she didn't want to play in the junior circuit then so be it. As to being in the Media who is doing that but the media and golfers like you complaining. I'd say everything she is doing is bring golf BACK into the public's eye. Besides if she wasn't here right now what would the golf media have to write about. Just Tiger winning, boy would that be boring. At least when Jack was winning he had a lot of formable completion, form what I see today, it's Tiger loses not someone else wins.

I smell a reality TV show: Who Wants to Be Michelle Wie's Caddie?
Talk about a hype-machine and cash-cow for the Wies!

I think I need to talk to my agent...D'oh! I don't have an agent. I even have to fire my own caddies. Life is hard.

C'mon, this caddy firing thing isn't a big deal. Remember, BJ Wie fired himself after that incident with Danielle Ammacapane.

It's obvious to me that blog columnist must get paid or rated by how many bloggers they incite. Otherwise, all this bashing of a talented 16 year old phenom and her devoted parents doesn't make any sense.

I now understand why Team Wie let go of Greg. I think it started with the John Deere classic when Michelle was overcome with heat exhaustion. The relationship between Greg and Michelle was too businesslike that she did not entrust with him how she was feeling that day and during the round. He pushed her, and said 'Come on!' Thus, not even Greg knew that she was suffering from the heat. A caddy for Michelle must be able to get along with her so that he can chit chat with her, and befriend her like a teenager. It's a dual role job, because the caddie must do his job, and also act as chaperon/guardian for Michelle on and off the course. That is where Greg failed in his job. He did not do enough of the guardian role for her. He left her out and dry during the heat exhaustion incident, or whenever a rules question came into place. Of course, this guardian role was not mentioned in the job description of a caddy, but it does come along when caddying for Michelle.

Kiel Christianson wrote:

"I smell a reality TV show: Who Wants to Be Michelle Wie's Caddie?
Talk about a hype-machine and cash-cow for the Wies!"


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!!!

What about NORMAN as Wie's next caddy?

I find it amusing that Ms Ochoa has fired her caddy, did not do it herself, and not one headline, blog, criticism in print....etc.

The beautiful lady i ever seen . i am an indian .i am interested in sending email or chat with her.i like her very much.