If the Masters taught us anything, it's that Michelle Wie won't ever wear green

Okay, Bill, I'll bite. I know that your last two or three columns went over like lead balloons (comment-wise). This isn't a put-down, by the way, it's just that it's usually only sensationalism that evokes responses. It's the bane of respectable journalists everywhere.

Yes, one has to wonder when reality is going to dawn on Bubbles and she'll relinquish childish ways. After all, if she's still harboring these callow fantasies when she is 21, we'll have to question her sanity.

She's done.

Michelle Wie will not only make it on the PGA Tour, I think she has a real shot at winning as many majors as Tiger. I mean she's not even in college yet. Tiger didn't win any majors until after college. And actually, Wie is sponsored by Nike at a younger age than Tiger, so in a way you could say she is ahead of the curve.

Brandon,

I just got back up onto my chair, after falling off laughing.

That was a great joke.

Bill,

I didn't know a thought such as this even existed.

Is this the best thing you could think of writing?

I think you should pursue another hobby because your future here is a good as M Wie on the PGA Tour. ZERO!!!!

Do you get paid for this?

Brandon Tucker.... are you on drugs or just stupid?

I'm not on drugs. I'm super, super serial.

William: I guess it's been slow with Michelle recuperating from injury.

As for your thought of her concentrating on the LPGA, I agree, but I'd go further and say she would become the most prominent golfer in world history.

Does she have a chance on the PGA tour? Dean Wilson has worked his way up the money list to where he doesn't have to worry about going back to q school at the end of the year. I think Michelle's game is similar to Dean's about 2 to 5 years prior to when he played with Annika.

Judge Smails: Are calling Michelle Bubbles because of the way she talks? Haven't you heard any of the male pros? Many of them sound like the adults in Peanuts.

-- kaialii

I will look at this from a different angle:

If Zach Johnson can win the Masters, then Wie can win too, given that Zach showed that anything can happen and anyone can win.

You are wrong. I checked Yahoo Images and on the first page I saw a picture of Michelle Wie wearing a black skirt and a green blouse.

Zach Johnson won the Masters.
He hits the ball shorter than Michelle does.

William in his blog said the Masters should have thought people things. What did it teach, apart from the fact that on a course supposedly ideal for long hitters, a short hitter like Zach who didn't go for one par 5 in two shots can win it.

If the Masters showed anything, it shows that Michelle is certainly long enough to win the Masters.
What a 17 year old Michelle Wie lacks in order to win the Masters is enough game. Will she improve her game enough to win it. I don't know, neither does William or the other people who wrote comments on the blog.

Outdriving the field in the blazing sun
Sudden fame
The weight of a million eyes on your back
1,000 flashing camera bulbs
In-depth interviews
Five hours of practice
Expectations of the gallery
Critics
Parallel parking
Staying normal
Changing the game
SATs
Envy of peers
400 practice balls
Evening workouts
Being a roll model
Coming in second
Boys
The spotlight
High school
Tomorrow's math test
Mom and Dad
Keeping your head up
Putting better than yesterday
The red carpet
Proving them wrong
Being a 17 year old girl
Being Michelle Wie

I know, I sound like a Nike ad.

what's with the comparison that MW has a chance in the pga? she's been given sponsors exemptions and never had to earn her way. don't throw dean wilson or dare suggest tiger. she's bush league until proven otherwise. it's about money and being nike's marketing tool. why are all these clueless people predicting great things MW when she hasn't proven anything in the years she's been given a free ride? Sponsors exemptions mean no pressure as MW has already admitted. "I'm having fun", all the while she's visiting rock bottom on the leader board. what's in it for you supporters? remember "eddie the eagle" in the winter olympics? well that was one event. but MW is dragging out this saga because of the money. and you supporters don't get a cut! it's a mockery to the pga. get a clue!

- honolulu, hawaii. MW embarrassess hawaii the way jasmine trias got 3rd place on american idol because of all the clueless supporters know how to power speed dial.

Halster:
There are many who get more coverage than they deserve. One is former ski jumper Vinko Bogataj, remember him? If you watched ABC's Wide World of Sports, he's the "Agony of Defeat" guy. And since you brought up American Idol, how about William Hung and his rendition of "She Bangs". There are lots of singgers (if you can call them that), that I have no clue what makes them popular.

Casey Watabu qualified for the Masters by winning the PUBLINX, then he stunk it up at the Masters and missed the cut. Will he get another shot at the Masters? Don't tell me because he's male he'll get another shot. No one knows. Same with Michelle, no one knows if she will get better. I think she should get another opinion on how to play the game (coaching change).

-- kaialii
PS: Since you brought up Hawaii singers, R.I.P. Mr. Don Ho.

Nice Blog, I look forward to watching Ms Wie continue her career, in whatever fashion she prefers. I will forever be grateful to her as she was the reason my daughter got interested in playing golf. I believe she has the same ability/talent to provoke awe in the fans as Tiger does. I do not think this will be primarily in the men's arena, but I am not going to rule anything out.
Patricia, I liked your prospective, having a 15 y/o daughter at home, I can appreciate the balances Michelle has had to show on a world stage and can only wonder at the strength it takes at times for her to perseverse in her (to this point) objective in her career.

Halster, Ms Wie EARNED her way into the US Open men's qualifier last year, though thats as far as she got. She has also (in my opinion) earned the exemptions she has gotten to LPGA events over the years. As for people who call her "bubbles" etc.... and continually attack, belittle and disrepect her every move, they only show the lack of character inherent in themselves. I do not like Vijay Singh, both as a person and in his professional persona but I respect his right to pursue his objectives and speak out his opinion as he does.

Ford, it is getting close! there is supposed to be a way for you to contact me through this blog via my e-mail address, if so send me your address as soon as you want. I still believe it is possible but by now highly improbable for me to win the bet we have. This in no way diminishes my anticipation of great things to come for Michelle in the world of Golf. YOU are a good example of someone who thoughtfully debates Ms Wie and her career choices as opposed to those who only use these blogs to spew out their prejudices and hatred.

Florida Mike,

Who do you like, the Titanic or the iceberg?

Great, Alex is back, let the games begin again. This should be entertaining.

kai,

Casey, as a amateur, will only get another invitation to the Masters' if he WINS the Publinx again or finishes first or second in the US Amateur. You see, kai, WINNING is necessary to QUALIFY for an invitation to the Masters'. These two requirements are foreign concepts to Bubbles and her sycophants.

Bubbles, as a professional, cannot qualify by either of these routes.

She will NEVER play in the Masters' unless by Act of Congress which is upheld by the Supreme Court.

Stanley,

You seem to be having an inordinate amount of trouble with the words "thought" and "taught."

Did I read your post correctly? Did you actually write that the Masters' proved that Bubbles is long enough to win at Augusta?

You must mean in her and your dreams, since that it the only place she will ever play in the Masters'.

Stanley, perhaps you don't know if Bubbles will improve enough to win the Masters' or any other PGA event, for that matter, but I certainly do know. She won't.

Alex,
Michelle can get to the Masters by winning any pga event, even a pga event held opposite a major or world championship event. This is a new rule.

But this is silly talk for any 17 year old pro. That's what we love about Alex, he is always looking into the future, so that if he is proved wrong it won't be for quite some time. Good strategy.

Patricia,

Bubbles didn't outdrive any field in the blazing sun at the John Deere.

An ambulance "drove out", put her on a stretcher, and took her to a hospital suffering from 87F "heat exhaustion."

I never thought that Bubbles could outdo that bit of theatrics but her latest wrist "injury" may have done the trick.

Johnny N.,

Get serious, my man!

Even you cannot be so dense as to believe there exists the slightest possibility that Bubbles will ever win a PGA tour event regardless when or how such an event takes place.

She can't even win one on the LPGA tour no matter how many sponsors' exemptons she wangles.

Alex:

There are 2 other ways to get to the Masters, 1) Money and 2) Ranking.

As for Casey getting to the '08 Masters via the amateur ranks, unless he changes his mind, that's not going to happen. He has already stated that he is going to turn pro at the end of the year.

-- kaialii

Bill,

Congratulations! You managed to write a piece that's akin to a dog whistle for Wiebot dum-dums. The dream lives on! Wiebots, enlivened and reinvigorated, have crawled out of the woodwork and found new hope. They came out of their hole, saw their shadow, and now we are to have six more weeks of Bubbles sycophancy.
And why not? Why, by gum, if little Zach Johnson can win the Masters, so can the taller, rangier Bubbles. Heck, if he doesn't mind his p's and q's, she just may kick his butt and take his Masters trophy from him, being the Amazon she is.

Kaialii,

I think you're selling Bubbles short and also are failing to buttress your argument sufficiently. It should be pointed out that Bubbles was infinitely better at ten years of age than Dean Wilson was at that age. Why she was better at ten than most any PGA pro was at that tender age. Thus, we can extrapolate that her ascendancy is nigh; she is poised to become that oft-discussed but elusive individual who will challenge Woods. A great rivalry is in the making. In fact, with Bubbles looming, it's hard to imagine that Woods will be able to capture the seven additional majors necessary to shatter Nicklaus' record.

We are so blessed to live in such a time.

Welcome Judge Smails to the Wie side, well done on accepting that Tiger won't break Jack's record due to Michelle Wie beating him.
By the way, how long do you think it will take for Michelle to break Jack's 18 major record?
There are 20 majors in a 5 year period, so that might be cutting it a bit tight, it might take 6 or 7 years to break the record.

Another question, do you think she will win both the mens and womens grand slam in the same season. Sorry for asking, of course you do, a better question is, how many times do you think she will do it?

Here is a description used by an article to describe 4 young American golfers:

Michelle Wie: wear dangly earrings,
Paula Creamer: dress only in pink
Natalie Gulbis: have a swimsuit calenda
Morgan Pressel: burst emotionally into tears when responding to anything particularly good or bad.

GREAT DESCRIPTIONS.

Here is the excerpt:
Brittany Lincicome does not wear dangly earrings, dress only in pink, have a swimsuit calendar, or burst emotionally into tears when responding to anything particularly good or bad, all individual characteristics that identity the small group of America's heretofore most noted up-and-coming female golfers.

Instead, Lincicome includes fishing and playing poker among her hobbies, both homey reminders that she is not, and never will be, confused for Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis or Morgan Pressel, who are described above in that order.

I'm willing to make the bold prediction that in 2007, heretofore described as a hectic year in the life of Bubbles, she will at least equal the number of LPGA tournaments won and the number of PGA cuts made as she has accomplished in her career to date.

Well done Alex.
I predict Wie will win a womens event in 2007, as for mens no predictions on that.

Stanley,

I think that Bubbles would have an excellent chance of getting a win in a men's event, albeit a minor one.

As we all have been told many times, Bubbles is immensely popular in Asia.

In late December, the Yogurt Makers aqnd Yak Herders of Outer Mongolia will hold their annual Tundra Open on the steppe course outside of Ulan Bator.

If BJ Wie and Bubbles' agents get wind of ot, the may lobby for a sponsors' exemption.

Alex,

Something tells me that Bubbles would find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the Tundra Open as well. She would probably become frightened by the sudden movement of a yak and be too traumatized to continue.

Alex, Wie was in something like 18th place and 5 shots off the lead after 2 rounds at the SK Telecom Open as a 16 year old. It's not unreasonable that at about 22 that she could be contending for the title at that event or a similar standard event.
That type of event is a long way away from pga events but it would still generate a huge amount of hype for a woman to win such an event.

Some people would say, it's just a third tier event, some would say it's the best thing in golf of all time, but for sure it would be talked about and it would generate a huge amount of hype and conversation about it.

So I agree with you that she could win a lower tier mens event and even contending for those kind of events would keep the hype machine in overdrive, and if you are honest, that's good for banter on these blogs.

Stanley,

I was being facetious. Bubbles will never win any event on any tour that is a men's tournament.

She can't even win one on the women's tour, and she doesn't even need to qualify.

Incidentally Stanley, you have predicted a win for Bubbles this year, 2007, on the LPGA tour. In which event will she get off the schneid?

And if she doesn't finally get a win, please don't come up with the excuse that her "injury" was so severe that she just couldn't get her game in shape.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if she only plays in three or four events in 2007. And if she has mediocre finishes in those events or misses a cut, I wouldn't be surprised either

Remember, Bubbles hasn't played a competitive round in close to four months, and her play had been poor for quite a while before her "injury."

Of course bubbles can win on the lpga tour. They are practically giving away titles. Just ask Miss Pressel who was handed a major, or the very fine Miss Lincicome who was handed the big money Ginn Open.
It's a pity for Bubbles that Karrie Webb and co. weren't in such generous mood when she was in contention in 2006 to win a few titles.

Alex,
It is official. Michelle Wie will play the Ginn hosted by Annika May 31st. Are you excited?

By the way, you asked when will she win. I don't know Alex, I predicted she will definetely win in 2007, sorry if you want more specific details.

Stanley,

Am I excited that Bubbles will come back after five months of recuperation from her "injury?"

Yeah, I'm all choked up.

I will be surprised if Bubbles wins on the LPGA tour within 3 years. With Golf being the mental game that it is, the beating her small female brain has taken, it surely will not be her best friend on the course.
Remember her last LPGA event, she did not even finish in the top 10
She will never ever compete in the Pga tour. As the couses are getting longer and longer. She does not have the ball flight for it . She can hit it ok for distance but her ball flight is too low especially with her long irons. She cannot hold any greens, especially where the Majors are played. She would go over a hundred at the Masters if she ever got to play one and She knows that . If She can learn to get her ball flight high enough she will lose consiserable distance. Even if She gets stronger she will lose her flexibility so She's screwed one way or another.

Art,

Of course, you are right, for those reasons that you have mentioned, as well as a lot of others.

A few of us sane people have been saying the same things as you have for more than two years.

But, as you can see, the Wiebots are singularly unimpressed with things so obvious. They want to wish Bubbles a win. However, a victory appears to further away now for Bubbles than it did three years ago.

What seems to have been missed in all these fabulous comments, both tongue and cheek and serious, that there is a real possibility that Wie may have already peaked as a talent. Some have noted that she was a better player at a younger age than many of the men playing on the PGA. The same is true in women's tennis, with the ladies peaking at an early age. Few have had extended careers without some real dedication, like Chrissy and Martina.
But, when you watch Wie play, I don't see the fire, the competitiveness that we see in Tiger, or the rest of the top men players. Men are hardwired for competition and combat. Wie is wired for fame and "fun." To make the "next" level, she is going to have to get tougher mentally and I just don't see it. Why get tougher, when you are 17 and worth millions?

CB Maxwell,

Several Wie skeptics on these blogs have posited that Bubbles may have already reached and passed her best game of golf.

Judge Smails, Ford, George, Booger, and myself have said as much on many occasions.

Her play seems listless and uninspired since she tanked at the Omega and the 84 Lumber.

The ever-faithful Wiebots believe there will be some sort of renaissance to her career, but I for one just don't see it. If Sony and Nike hadn't applied considerable pressure, she might not have entered the Ginn. She doesn't appear to have much desire to compete.

How lucky we are to have golf insider Alex reporting that Nike and Sony applied considerable pressure to get her to enter the Ginn. Thanks Alex for this breaking news.

Funnily enough golf insider Brian Hewitt said that she was still just chipping and putting up to last week, and that her Ginn participation would depend on her doctors approval, although they did say that was practically only a formality, and it shoult be fine. Then again what would Brian Hewitt know, Alex is the real golf insider.

Stanley,

Envy will get you nowhere, my man.

Some of us are privy to inside information Others are not.

Too bad, but you are obviously in the latter grouping.

Stanley,

Who is Brian Hewitt? In my circle of experts, nobody has ever heard of him.

Here is an article by Brian Hewitt:

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/15100/22364/

CB,

I have to correct you on one matter: Bubbles was never better at any age than any PGA player, and no sane person ever thought she was.

The Irony of the whole situation is that the Die Hard Wiebots are the ones that are ultimately responsible for Her untimely Demise.
In the beginning if she hadn't been put on such a pedistal by her followers she would not have gotten such a swollen up Head, which led her to believe she was much better than she really is. So you Wiebots can actually thank yourselves for her crash and burn Status. That is where she is at today and probably can not recover from that. I actually feel bad for her , but the Wiebots did her in.
Also you can Thank Sony and Nike for that also.
Actually She can retire with quite a bit of Money in the Bank. She doesn't have to come and take the mental abuse golf can do to a normal person, much less a young vunerable female mind.

Reports of Michelle Wie's demise are grossly exagerated. In any case, if she has achieved a crash and burn status, that would only mean she would fit in very well on the LPGA.

Art said:
"The Irony of the whole situation is that the Die Hard Wiebots are the ones that are ultimately responsible for Her untimely Demise. "

In golfing terms, the words ultimate demise might be used about someone who was 48 years old, but saying it about a teen shows your complete lack of knowledge of golf.

Johnny N.,

Not when that teenager is a girl.

You may not know the difference between boys and girls, but I do.

Alex,

It seems as if fewer and fewer people understand the differences between boys and girls. Of course, in our declining androgynous civilization those differences are becoming less profound all the time. Perhaps it's all the soy products.

Alex,
Why did it take Annika til her thirties to win huge volumes of titles?

Stan the man,

You didn't do your homework. Annika won twenty times on the LPGA tour by her thirtieth birthday.

Annika had a relatively long and eminently successful amateur career, especially in college where she was a conference and intercollegiate champion seven times.

She didn't turn professional until she was almost 24. She honed her game on the LET and in Australia. In short, she made it the hard way, she EARNED her fame and fortune.

I hope that your question has been answered and that you've learned something. Better late than never

Alex,
Read what I said again:
"Why did it take Annika til her thirties to win huge volumes of titles?"

Then you said:
"Annika won twenty times on the LPGA tour by her thirtieth birthday."

Since Annika has 69 lpga titles. By your figures she won 49 after turning thirty and 20 before turning thirty. That would suggest that she was still getting better and significantly better at that stage.

So basically for girls, yes girls who are teenagers, it is likely that they will improve significantly.

Stanley,

Maybe you've got something there.

Perhaps Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel who have both won LPGA tournaments as teenagers will improve as they mature.

After all, they have proven that they can WIN on the LPGA tour.
And, in fact, both of their games have been improving since both have a WIN under their belts this year.

Bubbles' game, on the other hand, has been sinking like the HMS Hood when hit by a salvo from the Bismarck.

Alex,
Both Paula and Morgan have played numerous events and thus had multiple chances to win and haven't had any injuries, that has probably given them a bit of an advantage over someone who was injured and hadn't played any lpga events up to Morgan's heroic win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Stanley,

All of your excuses for Bubbles and a dollar will by you a cup of coffee.

It must really hurt you Wie-wee's to have to do a variety of dances and twist yourselves into pretzels to cover for Bubbles' flops.

According jto Alex both Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel have improved their gsmes since they both won.

According to the LPGA both have a missed cut since winning--and that is all Morgan Pressel has.

Jim C,

It must really stick in your craw that Paula and Morgan both have significant WINS while Bubbles still wears the horse collar.

You Wie-wee's have got to get over it before you end up on the funny farm.

Bubbles will never get that elusive "W" unless she starts playing.

Watch out for the return of "heat exhaustion."
The temperature often goes into the 90's in South Carolina in early June.

Alex,
No excuses are needed. A player needs to play in an event in order to have a chance of winning it.

Stanley,

Good. Does that mean that the Wiebots won't be saying that it was too hot for Bubbles at the Ginn? Or too windy? Or too rainy? Or that her phantom "injury" isn't sufficiently healed?
Or that she couldn't practice enough because of high school graduation? Or that she is getting ready for college?

If none of the above will be offered as excuses, then perhaps we Wie skeptics are making some progress after all.

While everyone else is in mid-season form, Michelle Wie gets but one warm up before the 2nd LPGA Major of the year. I have predicted a win for Michelle Wie in the LPGA Championship--but I am not making any predictions about how she will do in the warm up.

Jim C,

Uh, Jim, the Next Ginn event is upcoming in early June. Bubbles has received another sponsor's exemption.

Jimbo, your argument isn't good enough. You see, Morgan Pressel is no darling of mine. Although she does have a WIN in A MAJOR, I don't particularly care if she ever plays another round. The same with Paula.

Unlike you Wie-wee's, I don't live or die with anything that any golfer does or doesn't do.

In fact, to my mind, women's golf is a complete bore and wouldn't be terribly missed if it were abandoned.

BUT, Morgan does have that big "W" and it was in a MAJOR. And Paula does have five "W"'s in her resume.

As far as missed cuts go, Bubbles is all too familiar with "MC." I know, Iknow, those were in men's events.

To which my answer is, if she has no chance of making the cut, what in hell is she doing in the event?

Eat your hearts out, Wie-wee's.

To: Johnny

I never claimed to be an expert at golf. I do know How powerful the mind is and Michelle's mind is full of trauma and negativity. She must have seen photos of herself being put in an Ambulance. That could traumatize even the strongest of mind's let alone a young female teenager. She will never be as good as She was at 16. I still stand by my statement of her "Ultimate Demise. In fact I would bet She doesn't really has anything physically wrong with her. It's all in her head. She really never even wants to tee up against the men antmore, but she feels she must.
She did not even put in an application for the Men's Open this year.

Art,
Of course she didn't put in an application for the Men's Open. It's doubtful that any other injured golfers would either.

She won't play until after that qualifier, and if it had even been borderline whether she could have come back for the qualifier, it would have been silly to come back in that as a first event.

The trauma of the ambulance is only in your imagination. There was no trauma there. The only reason she was put in an ambulance was because it was law in that state, than anyone suffering from that condition would have to go to hospital. If it were in many other courses, there would have been no ambulance in that case.
She was also fine so don't be trying to make something big out of such an insignificant occurance.

It obviously didn't affect her since she got 2nd place in her next event, The Evian Masters, which was played in warmer conditions. The only difference was that she knew that they would have to take precautions for the heat, whereas they hadn't even thought it was an issue before that.

______________
"In fact I would bet She doesn't really has anything physically wrong with her. It's all in her head. "
______________
How about your own head, perhaps you should get that examined, because there sure is some conspiracy theories and paranoia coming out of it. Sorry if that's harsh, but you really need to stop inventing stories.

STANFORD??? STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!!