Michelle Wie misses cut at 84 Lumber

Your crystal ball appears to be working.... after 10 holes she is +4 and 3 shots off the very early cut line.

No, wait, you mean Bubbles uses excuses when she doesn't succeed?

Actually, your quote of her isn't quite right...it's more along the lines of "dude, like, I know my ball was going hard-right out of bounds, but I mean like when it hit that tree, I was like 'oh man', and then it was in some weird grass. And if that wasn't enough, dude, school is like tough, dude."

Release the hounds on this "phenom"...introduce her to Ty Tryon while you're at it.

You go out to the driving range and watch a player hit great shot after great shot. Long and straight. Then you notice the player is a girl. You turn to your wife and say "This is the next Tiger Woods !". WRONG. Why ? Because you haven't seen the chipping and more importantly the putting. This is Michelle Wie. I watched her whole round on Tourcast and T.V. and even though she hit a couple of drives left, she hit many good shots but her putting is horrible. I would say if Tiger putted for her today she would be at worst even. Can the putting be fixed ? I know I couldn't fix mine but that's another story.

Michelle Wie misses cut at 84 Lumber

You didn't have to wait till this afternoon to tell us that, I could have told you that yesterday :-)

Also, besides putting Michelle stands too close to the ball after she hits it with the driver.

you forgot

"This week felt better than last week, I like, felt like I was actually playing golf or something while I was out there. I feel that I'm improving and I need to play more PGA events. I think I'm ready to win the next one. I know I have it in me to win it. Then I'll keep on winning and never have to play with those losers in the LPGA again"

oops, I added that last line myself :P

Oliver,

You're right, she is standing to close to the ball after she has hit it. The truth is that any pro can light it up at the range, and she isn't really all that long.

Where are all of the famous MW fans??? I was hoping to read some new excuses. They better hurry up because they only have 27 days left for the old, "well, after all, the poor child is only 16 years old" excuse. They could use the "course is too long" excuse but that wouldn't really fly since "she routinely drives it in excess of 300 yards". I know, how about this...."it was a very tough course and she just did not play well today." That would be refreshing, a true statement that didn't sound at all like a whining excuse. They could even practice saying it over and over again for when she plays non-LPGA courses from the back tees.

"I felt like from tee to green I played very well. My short game and putting let me down a couple of times -- every time," Wie said. "It doesn't feel like I played 5-over because I hit the ball really good."

"I'm hitting my irons 10 yards longer than I did last week. I think I could have easily shot under par today, but my putts didn't go in and I feel they will go in tomorrow."

Should somebody send her to a hospital to check whether she is OK?

() () F A S T F O R W A R D 2 0 Y E A R S () ()

Q: Michelle you didn't make the cut again, how did you feel out there?

MW: Well, I felt my short game really let me down, and I had a few bad bounces, but I think I feel my game is getting better.

Q: You've now missed the cut in men's events 155 out of 156 tries, and this being the 93rd time you've came in last. Will you continue to enter PGA events?

MW: Well I think that my game is suited for the PGA and I need to keep playing in PGA events to improve my game.

Q: On 14, when you kicked your ball out of the bushes, why did you decide to do that?

MW: I thought it was ok, but I guess it wasn't. I now know I need to ask about those things first.

Q: Michelle, you're 36 now, 37 in about a month, many people feel that perhaps it maybe a better choice to move out of your parents house.

MW: Well, I get tired of people asking me about this. I trust my father and I believe he is making the right decisions for my life.

Q: Any thought about going to college?

MW: Well, right now I wan to focus on my game. I feel it's really improving.

Q: Thank you Michelle, and Good luck.

MW: Thanks

JR,

Yes, I forgot about those vaunted 300 yard drives. I suppose she was toeing them all today. I'm sure she'll be pounding them out there 320 tomorrow.

Guys, come on, she's only sixteen! How well were you all hitting the dimpled white thing at that age?

stop!... I must admit that at first I thought your MW quotes were jokes. I just didn't think that those words were possible. Then I found her after round interview..... Sorry I doubted you. The "almost" 17 year old MW should learn to think before she speaks... even though that will take away some comic relief.

Michelle was sixteen entering the event so it's not a valid excuse for poor performance in a PROFESSIONAL event (note the emphasis on the word PROFESSIONAL).

Being sixteen is a reason to refuse the exemption in the first place.

Otherwise why not get a few 10 year olds to play in PGA events. We could always say "They're only 10!"

Then we can really turn it into a circus!

Judge Smails, In my opinion, Miss Wie played about as well as she has in quite a while. I don't see how she could have done much better. She didn't put up any double bogeys or other big numbers. She didn't have any birdies because she just doesn't have the game to score birdies on long, tough layouts. In that respect, she is no different from all the other female golfers. She was pretty accurate off the tees, and with the lift, clean, and place rules in effect, she had good lies on her second shots. She simply doesn't have the game for that course or that field. Stevie Wonder can see that. Will the Wie Warriors ever be able to see something so obvious? Don't hold your breath.

Ya know what I REALLY wanna see?

I want Annika to except a PGA exemption (or better yet qualify) to an event that Michelle Wie will participate.

Clearly we all know Annika will out perform Michelle.

Maybe then the media will finally stop telling us about how Michelle may be the first female golfer to make the cut in a PGA event blah blah blah...

And I think we can all agree Annika deserves the opportunity to write history.

typo: "accept"

Alex,

While I didn't watch the dog and pony show, I also would have to assume that Bubbles shot what for her is par on that layout (the course's course rating is probably around 77 or 78). For her to break 75 would be a monumental achievement.

bad joke,

Sorenstam would have virtually no chance whatsoever of making a cut in a PGA event. As Jesper Parnevik said, if she played the PGA Tour all year, she'd be lucky to make one cut. Sorenstam has even less distance and backspin than Bubbles.

Michelle Wie can't win the men's club championship at the majority of golf courses in the U.S., not to mention competition with the top males on the planet. I don't understand or condone the media blitz of this kid; she has been promoted out of her own definition of reality to the point that she believes she's a better player than she really is. If she wants to have a real letdown, send her to Elizabeth Manor Country Club next September and watch her get spanked by AT LEAST a dozen of our players in a 36 hole shootout. It is not too late for this girl to tuck her tail where it belongs and get back among her peers..

Hugh Hamilton
Portsmouth, Virginia

All of you obviously watched her play on ESPN and I'm curious why.

If you dislike her game, dislike all the hype and attention she's getting, dislike her excuses then please tell me why you bother to watch her at all?

I watch because I'm an admirer and I like her. I like her attitude, I like her demeanor and I think given time she'll improve.

All of you should just shut up. Don't watch if you don't like her

Will the Wie Warriors ever be able to see something so obvious? Don't hold your breath.
*************************************************
Alexy,

Wie supporters don't necessarily think Wie can compete with men. I personally think, at best, she will make cut someday but never really 'compete' with men. (she was 1 off in Sony, it depends heavily on the course) However, I believe she is one of the best female players, and she is HOT.

When Wie said Ryder cups blah blah, not many take her seriously, but because she is so popular and charismatic, and 16 yrs old, it is OK to say some dumb things.

Even with the current '35' game divisor, she is ranked 6, 7th. When she plays full time, she will be 1 or 2 with Ochoa (2 yrs later, Annika and Webb will lose some 'grips', no pun intended)
Just wait until she plays full time LPGA, you can kiss Sharapova good bye BABY !

"I believe she is one of the best female players, and she is HOT"

On an irrelevant side note, I hope you're not over the age of say...19 or 20. I know Im a woman, but I dont get the Sharapova thing either. Up until recently I always thought she looked like a skinny kid , yet grown men are salivating. I understood Kournikova a lot better, because even at a young age, she seemed a bit more...lolita-ish.

MW OTOH still seems like a kid to me. Listen to her speak. look athe condidtion of her nails, she's a kid. There's just something..not quite right with me & these kids bieng seen as 'sexy'. The olsen twins still look 12 year olds, yet guys were counting down to their 18th.

Anyway-on the topic of MW, i thought most of those quotes were just you all making fun.

Cathy

She is a train wreck on the PGA circuit, you just have to look, sort of like William Hung on American Idol.

Kathy:

I did not watch. I never watch if Wie-Wee is in the field. I'd rather go to the event so I can watch REAL golfers, instead of what the COMMON-TATERS want the viewing audiance to watch. I get sick and tired of the media stuffing that crap down our throats. I don't want to watch a LOOSER week after week. The media did the same thing with Casey Martin. Finally, WE the majority won that case as well. After that looser proved himself, the media doesn't focus on him anymore, and hopfully, before long, Wie-Wee will follow those footsteps.

Judge - Yeah I guess you're right, but it would be nice to take the hype out of the whole "Michelle could be the first woman etc etc".

Merrin - Ditto! The Wie-fans I know ALL stare at her legs and drool when she bends over (and incidentily they're all men go figure). I'm actually kinda nervous for Michelle for when she turns 18. If history repeats itself, then there will be a flood of celebrity "fake" nude photos of Michelle all over the internet. I hope team Wie will have Michelle ready for the embarassment.

Roger - good metaphor! Michelle is the unwitting star of Golf's Reality Seires "PGA idol". America watches as she week after week embarrasses herself. Quick someone call Simon Cowell! A friend of mine summed it up nicely when I asked him if he watches american idol. "I'd rather watch professionals who have spent years of blood sweat and tears perfecting their art"

:)

Kathy...you mean you admire the way that, in her words, it's almost always something besides her that gets the higher score? (ie... course too long, spike marks, footprints, bad breaks, didn't know I couldn't do that, etc.... other than that I played great).

You gotta admire the variety of excuses... I wonder how long before she starts to repeat herself. I predict another heat stroke in 2007. Pool bet anyone? :)

Here's a revelation... if MW is actually playing well (for her) and posting these mid to upper 70 scores, that just proves that her games is definitely not ready for the PGA. Hopefully, the sponsors will see this and stop extending exemptions. Then, if MW wants to play a PGA event, she can, she will just have to go through Monday morning qualifying like everyone else not currently exempt. Now, if MW would actually qualify for an event, I could even find myself rooting for her to make the cut.

Sorenstam played in the 2003 Colonial after getting an exemption. She was in position to make the cut after the first round, but went 4-over in the second round, finished five over total and missed the cut by 4.

She was the first woman to play on the PGA Tour in 58 years. Afterward, she made no excuses:

"It was a great week but I've got to go back to my tour, where I belong," she said. "I'm glad I did it, but this is way over my head."


--WKW

Where are all the Wie fans? Why, they're out at the bookstore buying Jennifer's book!

i predicted last week on a blog here that we would see mid to high 80's for her and she is 6 over through 6 today. she is going for digits today. it is ugly. i'm going to set up a goawaymichellewie.com web site soon.

I'm predicting some form of "cold exhaustion" withdrawal at the turn today (as she is 6 over after 6 holes). Bye Bye.

Smudge, that is exactly what I'm thinking, WD after 9.

here's the latest from bubbles (i love that name, kudos to whomever came up with it):

The putter was the problem on Thursday as Wie needed 34 putts.

"I feel like if I can make some putts tomorrow, I can really shoot a low score," said Wie. "It all feels good. I'm hitting my irons good. It didn't feel like I shot a 5-over today."

hugh hamilton

great point. i know of ten guys at my club that would finish in the top 20 on the LPGA money list next year if they were allowed to play there. this shit exposes the LPGA for what it is. the LPGA should give her an exemption to the tour so she doesn't expose them any further. michelle if your reading this blog i challenge you to a match for 1 million dollars at Southern Highlands in Las VEgas. I will get a promoter and we can have a real battle of the sexes.

What really makes me ROLF is when Mickelson said about Annika at the Colonial "I think she has a good chance to finish in the top 10". Of course he knew that was total BS when he said it. The real problem for the LPGA is Wie usually does very well on that tour so now everyone knows the level of play out there is miles below the PGA tour. Before Annika and Michelle tried it there was some doubt about how big the difference was. Some journalists even said they thought Annika could do O.K. out there.

Yesterday's round was the "dog and pony show"...today's is the "dog and phony show".

Goodnight Bubbles, goodnight.

i just hope boyd summerhays sacks up and finishes better than michelle today so she won't have the excuse: well i a tleast beat one of the men pros this week. that might give her and any of her sponsors more powder to try it again. c'mon boyd due it for all of us.

It's a tight race for last between Wie and Summerhays who have a 2 shot lead on the field.
I like Wie though because Summerhays has played 2 more holes.

kathy

have you ever been to a car race? i don't watch to see someone win. i watch to see the 20 car pile up initiated by some dodo head who flipped his car twenty times trying some stupid move on the track. thats similar to what were watching today on espn. people like you don't really exist do you?

WKW,

I have to mention with regard to your assertion that Sorenstam was positioned to make the cut after the first round of the Colonial. The fact is that subsequent to the round she was one shot OUT of the top seventy and ties; in other words, one shot below (or is it "above"?) the projected cut line.

Of course, one could say that she had a good chance to make the cut because she was close to the projected cut line, but that reasoning ignores what were the facts on the ground. To whit: Sorenstam played some of her best golf in the opening round, and there is such a thing as deviation toward the mean. Consequently, I knew her next round would be worse, and I was correct.

By the way, as of this writing, Bubbles is eight over on the day and two shots behind Summerhays after bogeying the par five eleventh.

Hey, Lee Janzen is the leader in the clubhouse at +11. I still like Wie to win it.

Merrin,

I'm a man, but I agree with you wholeheartedly. While I can appreciate beauty as much as the next guy, I'll also say that it's very undignified and animalistic to salivate over every pulchritudinous young gal who comes down the pike. Most ridiculous, though, is that it almost seems as if Jay is implying that Bubble's comeliness justifies her presence in PGA events. What bearing, Jay, does her appearance have on this debate?

Lastly, we're not supposed to be animals (which, incidentally, generally only breed during certain seasons). Try being governed by your intellect and not your hormones.

Tiger Woods has said more than once "I would never enter a golf tournament unless I thought I could win it". The Wie people need to hear this loud and clear. As it is they are destroying the girl's self esteem and confidence which could affect how she plays even on the LPGA.

looks like camp wie may be lining paul stankowski's pockets today. he's close on her heels as worst golfer this week. remember if he shoots higher than her she has an awfully good out to playing in more of these events.

Hey guys, Let's give her credit for improving her score in relation to par from what she shot at the Omega. That's right, improving. Last week, she scored 78-79, 157 fifteen over on a par 71 course. This week, she really lit it up, 77-81, 158 ONLY fourteen over par on a par 72 course. She also showed a marked improvement on her proximity to the cut line. At the Omega she missed the cut by 14 strokes, whereas this week it looks like she will only miss by13 shots. It looks like she has last place locked up unless some johnny-come-lately steals her fans. So it looks like Norman, Jim C, and the rest of the Wie Warriors are right. Bubbles' game is getting better all the time.

alex, as the wie camp would have you believe she will not indeed finish last. there were ten players who withdrew so techniccally speaking she finished higher than them based on her effort. if stankowski finishes higer than her they will really have something to hang their hat on. that plus the fact that two major championship winners (leonard and janzen) were within 5 stokes of her finish. the thinking is that if she can play that close to those two this week why shouldn't she continue playing these events.

Michelle is a very talented female golfer who is going to do great things on the LPGA tour. She'll never do $#&$ on the PGA tour no matter how many times she tries. Playing to "make the cut"? PLEASE! While there is a big difference in talent on the men's tour, I'd think that most of the players are playing to win. Michelle will never win a PGA tour event. Ever. I think this whole thing is a big marketing ploy anyway.

Maybe Bubbles (yea I like the nick too :) ) can set the record for number of last place finishes at events entered with a sponsors exemption.

This blog seems to be a constant bitching post. Mainly about Michelle Wie. :P

Seriously though; I don't see the issue.

It's not like she's taking a man's place as she takes an exemption.

And guess what; she's making more people watch the game. For you "journalists" (the blog writers( this is surely a good thing. I guess you are too short sighted to see that.

And do you berate every person who plays badly on the PGA Tour?

Where's the issue?

Frasier,

Do you have a learning disability of which we should be aware? If Bubbles were not granted these undeserved exemptions, men would have gotten them. Thus, every time she receives one, she is taking a man's place.

Frasier, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

"

Do you have a learning disability of which we should be aware?"

It's funny, when someone knows they are wrong they get so aggressive. It's hard to see the big picture when the screen is so small isn't it?

"If Bubbles were not granted these undeserved exemptions, men would have gotten them. Thus, every time she receives one, she is taking a man's place.

Frasier, a mind is a terrible thing to waste."

So which man would have taken her place? Pray, do tell. Would he attract people to watch the game? And would he win? If he came last would you berate him?

And thanks for answering my other point. Oh wait, you failed to answer it. Did you miss it, or can you not answer it? One wonders whether you simply fail to recognise the fact that someone who attracts people to watch the game is a good thing or that you are just too much of an idiot to realise pretty much everything.

Let's look at the facts; the sponsor's can do what they like. So if they want Wie to play, then that's their choice. Would you turn down the chance to play in the PGA Tour? Maybe you would. Maybe when you look at the cheques that come rolling in, you might think twice before you go on your morale high horse. These are the basic facts. I don't know what disorted world you live in, where everything is fair and good, but life isn't like that. The sponser's want the money, Wie wants the money, golf wants the money. We all win. You can bitch and whine all you want, but black isn't white, and will never be white.

So before you start another sanctitmonious speech, think. You might look like less of a prat as a result.

Judge Smails, Since Frasier is obviously a Brit, he must be trying to forge an early lead in the competition for the Alan Cup, that venerable award named after his fellow Brit, alan m. I don't think that Frasier has a learning disability. No, he just didn't attend school for very long or very often. He didn't need further education as a thatcher of roofs and peat cutter in Wales. If he had become a coal miner instead, he would have needed more education

Alex,

Frasier does certainly seem to be a top contender for the Alan Cup.

Frasier,

You must be a good liberal because your ability to reason seems greatly compromised. The issue never involved the marketability or prospects for success of possible exemption recipients, nor was the issue the degree of derision that I would visit upon the one chosen. The issue also wasn't whether or not sponsors, as private entities, have the right to grant their exemptions as they see fit. I simply corrected your fallacious assertion that little Bubbles wasn't taking a spot from a man.

Ever hear of "staying on topic"?

The sponsors can do what they like and MW can do what she likes (according to BJ's own words) but it doesn't necessarily mean it's all for the best. I just saw someone on tv sum up the way I've been feeling. He said many of us fell in love with the idea of MW because she had the potnetial to be another Tiger, Michael Jordan--the type of athlete that redefines the sport as we knew it, and for that reason I was excited by the idea of MW. Im not one of the women-hating dudes here calling the LPGA *crap*, or saying it's ludicrous to think a woman cant compete with male counterparts. Hey, who knows, it might be possible. I also see nothing wrong with women having their own sport, just like it is in tennis.

But I *do* see a little something wrong in a 16 year old turning pro, becoming a circus, and pretending like not going through a more gradual level of competition & learning how to win wouldn't add much needed maturity & expertise to her game. I see something very wrong with the whole MW as a pro thing. You can compare it to LeBRon skipping college, but that's a team sport. This feels somewhat different, and I really dont get a level of maturity, or maybe it's that outer layer of world-toughened extra skin I think she needs.

I'm not saying I dont hink MW can compete with men at some point, or that Tiger Woods never missed cuts early on either, but something about this just seems to have been a REALLY big mistake. And I dont think she's really benefitting from it as much as some of the die hard Wiers seem to think.

What bearing, Jay, does her appearance have on this debate?
***********************************************

Debate ? What debate ? This blog site does not 'debate'. 95% of the messages seem to just 'bashes' Wie.
I never said her appearance justifies her presence in PGA. I also think it is bad idea for her to keep finishing dead last and dont' see the point of this PGA challenge.

What I am implying is that she will dominate LPGA one day, and with her charisma and looks, she will go beyond Annika and join the level of Sharapova. I don't understand why calling Wie 'hot' is a problem. I once read an analysist who commented she has a appearance of a supermodel and that was one of the reason she was popular. Nothing wrong with that.

"
Judge Smails, Since Frasier is obviously a Brit, he must be trying to forge an early lead in the competition for the Alan Cup, that venerable award named after his fellow Brit, alan m. I don't think that Frasier has a learning disability. No, he just didn't attend school for very long or very often. He didn't need further education as a thatcher of roofs and peat cutter in Wales. If he had become a coal miner instead, he would have needed more education "

Brilliant. Great debating. As usual, members of this site stoop to sterotypes rather than actually arguing the points raised. I would go down to your level and remark on the many, many sterotypes that your country's people are held to, but I won't.

"Ever hear of "staying on topic"?"

Yep. And that's exactly what you haven't done.

I repeat my question; where's the problem? You haven't answered it yet, and my guess is you won't. Simply because you can't.

"
You must be a good liberal because your ability to reason seems greatly compromised."

A good liberal? This is fantastic. If you knew anything about me, which you quite clearly don't, you'd know I was a member of the Conservative Party. It's not a Liberal party at all. So don't pretend that you know more than you do. It's difficult to do so when you know so little, but still.

"I simply corrected your fallacious assertion that little Bubbles wasn't taking a spot from a man."

You misunderstood my position on the subject. What I was saying, and what strictly I should have said, is that she is taking the place of any man who would actually get into the tournment on his own merit alone. You could argue the same with past champions playing in majors is also a bad thing. Do you?

Okay, Frasier, now that you've added that qualifier to your statement, it makes some sense. I suggest that next time you avoid letting your fingers outpace your brain.

However, Bubbles still has no business in PGA events. As one of your countrymen, G.K. Chesterton, once said, "Having the right to do something is not at all the same as being right in doing it." Just because sponsors have the right to prostitute this girl in PGA events doesn't mean it's ethical.

Case in point: at the Sony this year, Bill Glasson (a seven-time tour winner, I believe) had to cool his heels and become a spectator because this interloping little broad has "dreams" to which everything else must be subordinated.

There's a LPGA, a tour on which men who would have gotten the exemptions that went to Bubbles are disallowed from competing. And, I should emphasize, the only reason why she is given red carpet treatment is that she has been marketed craftily by the Wies and hyped to the nth degree by a fawning, politically correct media.

Lastly, it now should be obvious to even the most obtuse that she is completely out of her depth in PGA events. Not only can't she hold a candle to the men, but there are also 16-year-old boys who are far more deserving of exemptions. She looks like a sideshow act, and the PGA is making itself look like a carnival.

"
However, Bubbles still has no business in PGA events. As one of your countrymen, G.K. Chesterton, once said, "Having the right to do something is not at all the same as being right in doing it." Just because sponsors have the right to prostitute this girl in PGA events doesn't mean it's ethical."

I don't feel that it is unethical to use Wie to attract people to golf. If it means more money for our sport I'm glad.

Well said, Frasier old chap! With you it's all about the money. If the PGA put mimes, jugglers, and a Dixieland band greenside between groups, that might attract some people who are not really golf aficianados, but who like some entertainment while waiting for the players to putt. I suppose you'd approve of that if it made some more money for the tournament sponsor.

To me, and this is just *my* opinion, charting teenage athlete's potential careers on their present hotness is weird. It makes my face scrunch up a little & it just seems creepy.
Now when I see her in those tiny skirts, there is a whole new dimension to what's being sold here that I really didnt give much thought to. I hope that's not the case tho.

There's just something creepy about 15 year old tennis & golf stars trying to excel at their sport while perhaps wearing short skirts to be comfortable (tennis & golf on a hot day) and then having 40 year old guys salivating at the image. ew.

MW is almost 17 I think, so obviously she's edging more on the adult scale now than pubescent. But looking at her..she's not even fully..how to say this....a grown woman yet. I'm sorry, I still her as a kid.

But this was just an opinion, I wasnt condemning you. Perhaps I was just ignoring an obvious aspect of her marketing. I dont know.

WTF, I think most of you Wie bashers belong to the KKK. I don't play golf and after reading the posts here I don't have any desire to play a a game with the biggest bunch of aholes on the planet.

Joe, Thank you for your unsightful post. Since you don't play golf and have no desire to play, may I ask what is your avocation? Let me guess, you steal hubcaps? No? Then you snatch purses? Am I getting close?

Joe,

I thank you for your assurance that I won't have to see you on the course with your tank top, your pants with the crotch down around the knees, and your baseball cap on backwards.

Judge.... good post. but it might be more accurate if the cap was turned sideways.

[begin quote]
Comment from: Kathy [Visitor]
All of you obviously watched her play on ESPN and I'm curious why.
If you dislike her game, dislike all the hype and attention she's getting, dislike her excuses then please tell me why you bother to watch her at all? I watch because I'm an admirer and I like her. I like her attitude, I like her demeanor and I think given time she'll improve. All of you should just shut up. Don't watch if you don't like her. 09/15/06 @ 00:00
[end quote]

Kathy, that's the $64 question. I've wondered, too. The only conclusion I could come up with is that they're lined up ten deep to have their deepest fear confirmed -- that for gifted but largely unproven talent, there's no hope, no dreams, no possibilities. In their own lives, they've given up dreaming a long time ago, giving in to their own fear of failure. They're drawn to the brightest lights to watch, not for dreams to come true, but for dreams to crash and burn, reaffirming their fear. What they fear most is the persistence of dreams, the way real heroes get up and try, again and again. They're afraid that that persistence will eventually lead to success, exposing their fear, their paucity of hope. So they shout discouragements, trying to breed doubt and kill hope, hoping to justify their fear. Or they're merely serving a larger purpose, i.e., for the rest of us to ask why and better appreciate the bright light that athletes like Michelle Wie represent.

"Well said, Frasier old chap! With you it's all about the money. If the PGA put mimes, jugglers, and a Dixieland band greenside between groups, that might attract some people who are not really golf aficianados, but who like some entertainment while waiting for the players to putt. I suppose you'd approve of that if it made some more money for the tournament sponsor. "

Yep. If it makes people watch golf, I think that it can only be a good thing. (Well, to an extent, obviously there is a limit, perhaps mimes and jugglers cross it…)

Kimo And Kathy, The reason most people sat through Bubbles' latest embarrassment was that occasionally ESPN showed some golf action by some of the players who actually had a chance to make the cut and eventually win the tournament. Watching Bubbles pout and gesticulate was not the reason I tuned into the 84 Lumber Classic. It was GREAT to catch glimpses of the last two rounds without Bubbles to gum up the works. Did the Wie Warriors quit observing when Bubbles bombed? If they did, that would be an indication of what type of golf fans they are. Incidentally, there was a sizable and enthusiastic gallery on hand today at the 84 without Bubbles around.

My brother works for ESPN in Bristol and he has mentioned to me on a number of occasions the debate over Michelle Wie which rages when the topic of her coverage when she plays in men's events. The network it seems feels obligated to cover her every move for the diehard Wie fans, the casual observers and those who believe the hype surrounding her--The on-air talent, many of the producers and those who really know sports within the network hate having to hype her ill-fated attempts and despise running highlights of Michelle missing short putt after short putt. Look for ESPN and other networks to scale back their Michelle Wie coverage and generally back off until her results and maturity match her hype and checkbook.

I'm not sure where all the hostility on these sites come from. Her talent and potential are obvious to anyone with eyes. Equally obvious is her ability to compete with the best women in the world. 2 points for the Wie Warriors--At this stage of her career it is also painfully obvious that she does not yet, nor may ever have the game necessary to compete against the top men in the world. She has also not shown, yet that she can put away a tournament on the LPGA tour, as evidenced by her lack of wins. 2 points for the Wie Grinches. I am happy to call it a draw for now and wait and see what happens with Michelle in the future.

Let's break this thing down Dr. Jack style: Here are some of the claims and assertions made by both sides both positive and negative regarding the future of Michelle Wie;

Michelle doesn't have the killer instinct and therefore will never win a tournament on any tour; very unlikely, she has too much talent and puts herself in position too many times not to win (and probably often) on the LPGA tour.

Michelle has a overall golf game that transcends the women's game and has never been seen before; Not true; Michelle has a golf game(more specifically power game) that seperates her from most professional women golfers, but not all. There are women who hit the ball just as far as Michelle and there are many women who have short games far superior to Michelle. If her game was truly transcendent she would have won by now.

Michelle will dominate the LPGA tour; possibly, she has shown tremendous potential and for a while this year was a threat to win every tournament she entered. She first needs to get win number one and then we can talk about domination.

Michelle will someday play on the PGA tour; doubtful, unless they want to give her sponser's exemptions for an entire year. It is hard to imagine her making it through Q-School anytime soon.

Michelle will qualify for and play in the Master's and the U.S. Open; I actually think that Michelle could have a chance to reach these goals based on her relatively close call at the sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open this year. She could get hot and play her way in(which incidentally seems to be what everyone wants, for her to earn it) how she would finish is a totally different discussion, think last two weeks.

Michelle will makes cuts on the PGA tour; probably given enough tries she could make a cut or two in the future if her game gets back on track and progresses substantially.

Michelle will have a top ten finish on the the PGA tour, will win a PGA tour event, will play in the Ryder Cup; no, No, NO; Not going to happen in my lifetime, which shouldn't be much shorter than Michelle's so sorry Michelle keep dreaming.

Michelle is stupid, greedy, slutty or any other negative mentioned on these sites(not including a little bit whiny); No, she is a young girl who is not any of these things. I think she has been thrust into a situation that is a bit too much for her too process right now, but her interviews will improve, her attire will hopefully become more age appropriate and she will start to pay divedends on some of her huge endorsements.

B.J. Wie is the devil; I don't personally agree with his approach, but what do I know nobody is offering my daughter millions to hit a little white ball--I think he is far more controlling than anybody lets on and while there is no question he sold his daughter to the highest bidder in essence--when all is said and done I'm sure he loves her and in his own way wants whats best for her. So, not the devil, but no doubt a stage dad.

Michelle will be peremenantly damaged by this career path; Who knows, we will just have to wait and see.

She's 16. Let's give her 30 more years as a professional. In those 30 years, she will never win a PGA event. Ever. The reasons why should be obvious.

Well, it seems like the Wie Warriors are really losing it, just as several have predicted. It doesn't look like they will ever change; they're too heavily invested emotionally too recant. But they ARE entertaining.

Kimo said,

"Kathy, that's the $64 question. I've wondered, too. The only conclusion I could come up with is that they're lined up ten deep to have their deepest fear confirmed -- that for gifted but largely unproven talent, there's no hope, no dreams, no possibilities. In their own lives, they've given up dreaming a long time ago, giving in to their own fear of failure. They're drawn to the brightest lights to watch, not for dreams to come true, but for dreams to crash and burn, reaffirming their fear. What they fear most is the persistence of dreams, the way real heroes get up and try, again and again. They're afraid that that persistence will eventually lead to success, exposing their fear, their paucity of hope. So they shout discouragements, trying to breed doubt and kill hope, hoping to justify their fear. Or they're merely serving a larger purpose, i.e., for the rest of us to ask why and better appreciate the bright light that athletes like Michelle Wie represent."

Kimo, I see you're waxing philoso-poetic now. I also see that you're an aspiring psychoanalyst, albeit quite an amateurish one. Anyway, I hope you won't be too upset if I don't take your psychological analyses to heart. I don't want any Kimo-therapy.

Sometimes I feel like switching from being a Wie critic to a Wie supporter.

There just so much to criticize, it's really getting silly.

The kicker was finding out how BJ soldout Michelle's U.S. ties to make her more marketable in Korea.

http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=2753

As Michelle's hype-hole keeps getting deeper and deeper, it's becoming less
challenging to criticize her and her handlers.

Like the great DB once said: "It's like sandblasting a soup cracker"