Wie Will Play Legends Reno-Tahoe Open
by Mulligan Stu on Jul 21, 2008 6:07 PM EDT
29 comments
The news just came over: Michelle Wie is heading back to the PGA Tour. She'll be playing the Legends-Reno Tahoe Open next week.
0 recs |
29 comments
Email
Print
Comments
neato!
Maybe she can get her card on the PGA Tour. How many sponsors’ exemptions does she have left there? Do we get to pick her in the Waggle Room fantasy league this week?
Seriously, it’s another chance to test the Wie effect on tv ratings:
http://mlyhlss.blogspot.com/2008/07/michelle-wie-effect-research-question.html
by The Constructivist on Jul 21, 2008 6:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
reno tahoe
is that on the futures tour?
"Not even God can hit a 1-iron." - Lee Trevino
by 1ironCharlie on Jul 21, 2008 6:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
heh
nope, it’s up against a World Golf event….
by The Constructivist on Jul 21, 2008 7:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
reactions
Be curious to hear the reactions of PGA Tour players to this, especially just several days after she screwed up so bad.
by bogeymcduff on Jul 21, 2008 7:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
on the other hand
If she played like she did the first three days at the State Farm, against that weak field, she’ll actually have a shot at making the cut.
by bogeymcduff on Jul 21, 2008 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
this may be her best chance yet...
...crazy as it seems. i guess if she’s going to go down, she’ll go down in flames—or do that phoenix thing trying. I think the latter.
by The Constructivist on Jul 21, 2008 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you guys need to be more careful
the police could be monitoring this site and might assume that you guys are on some serious halucinagenics ! :-)
Wie will not make the cut – she will get buried by the field – these guys are tired of playing nice to the little girl.
I’m really surprised that the PGA Tour allowed this to happen again. This is an almost 7500 yard course – at altitude so it will play a little shorter – vs a bogus 6600 yards last week at the State Farm. She is being used as a sideshow to sell a few extra tickets.
the biggest problem ? this just goes to show that Wie is still living in a fantasy world. Three good rounds on a course with no challenges and she thinks she’s too good for the LPGA again. All the tears we’ve seen the last two years have been crocodile tears. all the public statements that sounded like she was growing up and getting some sort of grounding to herself and her game ? all a bunch of crap. she is still the same physically talented ditz living in a fantasy world that she has always been.
Time for the LPGA to move on and leave her to the wolves. Eventually, she will come crawling back to the ladies tour when it finally sinks in that she has only been used to sell tickets on Thursday and Friday.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 21, 2008 11:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
maybe
On the surface, this looks pretty dumb. A men’s event is offering Wie another unearned exemption in an attempt to increase the gate. Wie accepts because her ultimate goal is to tee it up against men every week. Those seem to be the general view here. I have no idea why she was offered the exemption, but I have an alternative reason for her acceptance.
Competitive golf at the tour level is different than probably any of us here can comprehend. The best way to improve her ability to compete with that kind of pressure is to compete with that kind of pressure. So, while the LPGA is in Europe (the WBO is that week, right?), Michelle will have the opportunity for at least two days to play with tour-quality pressure. Personally, I think she’s using the opportunity as a tune-up for the Canadian Open.
One other thing I’ve been wondering about lately: Given Michelle’s poor communication skills and limited vocabulary, was she given a sponsor’s exemption into Stanford?
by dianemarie on Jul 22, 2008 12:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
LOL
Actually, she is – at least partly – she is a legacy at Stanford because of aunts and uncles and I think a grandparent – of course it doesn’t hurt to have $20 million in the bank when going in for the admissions interview. :-)
What I don’t understand is that she went to classes for one semester then left – she’s not actually there taking classes, and therefore not technically a student. She’s probably still eligible to come back and take classes (my college gave students a year to come back if they had to leave) – but I don’t see her going back anytime soon. I read two articles this week saying that “she just finished her freshman year” – which isn’t possible since she hasn’t been taking classes for 6 months.
IF she could be considered “competitive” with the men on Tour, that would be one thing – but she isn’t. The PGA Tour isn’t a training ground for kids who dream of playing on the highest level – that’s what the mini and Nationwide Tours are for. She also has the Futures, LET, and LPGA Tours to practice on. This is nothing but a little girl talking about her dream and getting a lot of media attention because she’s cute. There are hundreds of teenage boys who would wear her out 7 days a week and twice on Sunday – but they don’t get the media attention and therefore don’t get the invitations.
Hey – my dream is to marry Salma Hayek – where’s my media attention and media pressure for her to call me and set a date ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 22, 2008 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Stanford's calendar
They’re not on a semester schedule like many colleges and universities.
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/registrar/academic_calendar/index0809.htm
So she could skip a term and still be in good standing, I think. Fall term starts 9/22, Winter term 1/6. The LPGA’s Q-school comes during the fall term’s “dead week,” so if she’s ok with scheduling her pre-qualifier around her classes as September turns into October or somehow gets an exemption into final qualifying, she should have no problem playing in it ). She even has Thanksgiving break the week before to intensify her practice schedule.
Or she could skip Q-School and hope she does better with whatever LPGA exemptions she gets in 2009….
by The Constructivist on Jul 22, 2008 8:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
ok - so it's even worse
she has one quarter of classes under her (designer) belt
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 23, 2008 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
quarter system
I thought I remembered Stanford being on the quarter system (I grew up across the street and had friends who attended).
Heresy coming: I put Michelle Wie in the same category as Tiger Woods, professional golfers I really enjoy watching play. The fact is, it’s golf - we’re not talking about ending torture or restoring the fourth amendment - it’s just golf. It’s entertainment. Some people like country music (for whatever reason) and some people prefer jazz. One of the women in my league played junior golf with Phil (she claims to have incriminating pictures) and went to Tulsa on a golf scholarship (Carin Koch was a teammate). One day she realized it was just golf and bailed out somewhere on the road to the tour (she sure is fun to watch when we’re paired). My point is, we can offer our opinions on who should and shouldn’t play in which tournaments, but in the greater scheme of things, who cares? I told you it was going to be heretical.
Anyway, if someone wants to offer Wie a chance to play in their tournament, so what. It’s her career. If she can make it work, more power to her. As far as the Futures tour goes, Michelle has been to the mountain (high finishes in majors) and is probably unwilling to go play in the valley.
by dianemarie on Jul 22, 2008 9:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
valley????
Let’s see, Lorena Ochoa and Seon Hwa Lee came through that valley, along with dozens of other LPGA stars. Vicky Hurst is the queen bee there right now and is a better golfer than Wie (never mind that she missed the cut at the State Farm). If Michelle’s people and Stacy Lewis’s people had any sense, they’d have planned for the 2 to barnstorm the FT together and try to knock Hurst from her #1 position. It would have been a lot of fun and great competition—and just the tournament experience they need, whatever the results.
I think what really kept them from doing it is fear—fear of getting beat by mere valley-dwellers. Better to get beat by guys (and maybe beat enough to make the cut), better to play what LPGA events you can get into, better to roll the dice with Q-School…than to get beat by the likes of Mindy Kim, M.J. Hur, Jin Young Pak, and Leah Wigger.
by The Constructivist on Jul 23, 2008 2:58 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree
But I think both camps decided they could be successful enough on the LPGA they wouldn’t need to “back track.” Without looking at record books, I believe before she turned pro, Wie had two years where she would have won enough money to qualify for exempt status. I’m not saying they’re right. I’m just suggesting that may be what they’re thinking.
by dianemarie on Jul 23, 2008 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
free wheeling
you are correct that the dollars she would have made those two years would have gotten her an LPGA card if she was elligible – BUT – she was freewheeling. She was 14-15-16 years old and had absolutely no pressure. There were no endorsements – no contractual obligations – and she was everybody’s sweetheart.
As soon as she turned pro and signed that contract with Nike, the problems started. There were huge expectations – there were even bigger demands on her time and intrusions on her life. She was no longer a “cute kid” she was a professional athlete and had a target on her back.
and no – I’m not feeling sorry for her – she did what she chose to do
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 23, 2008 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bravo
well said !
didn’t Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak spend a little time on the Futures Tour ? And don’t forget one of this year’s fastest risers – Kristy McPherson. Paula Creamer played a Futures Tour event in ‘07 to get loosened up for the LPGA season.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 23, 2008 9:19 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
no way
Paula could not have competed on the Futures tour to get loosened up, or anything else in 2007. Exempt LPGA players aren’t allowed to play. Besides, I think she already had a win in ‘07 before the Futures tour started their season.
by dianemarie on Jul 23, 2008 9:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
wrong tour
I stand corrected – Creamer played the HOOTERS Tour Women’s Series event in Winter Garden, FL in February 2007 to get loosened up for the start of the LPGA season.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 23, 2008 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and this year ...
Paula played on the rinky-dink Suncoast Series … and won, not surprisingly!
by BloggerBob on Jul 23, 2008 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
isn't it amazing...
...what a little humility can do for you ? Creamer knows she’s just greasing the wheels and doesn’t worry about playing in the minors – and she has three wins this year.
Michelle Wie thinks that she should be playing with the men – she gets her brains beat out and her reputation flushed down the drain because she thinks she deserves to be on the PGA Tour.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 23, 2008 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
it seems her game is back...
from last year’s disaster. I haven’t looked to see who else is playing, but it’s not exactly the Buick Open. If she pops her drives as far as the shorter men, which she does consistently anyway, and can keep them in the fairway, and her putter doesn’t do her in, I think she stands a reasonable chance of making the cut. I wonder what the odds are in Indiana?
by dianemarie on Jul 23, 2008 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
interesting bet
pretty high odds against, I’d have to say, but those betting odds won’t be out until the week of the tournament. I didn’t see anything on Ladbrokes or VegasInsider.com
PGA fairways and greens are a lot tougher than anything on the LPGA, even in less prestigious fields like this. Fairways are tighter and have more rough, and pins are not placed precariously in the middle of the greens.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 24, 2008 1:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
fair point
If the LPGA set up courses the same way the PGA does, would the women say, “Oooo, that’s a narrow fairway!” then make whatever adjustments they needed and hit the fairways like they do now? They are professional athletes, I say they would adapt if present with the challenge.
by dianemarie on Jul 24, 2008 7:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
very true
the adjustment is to back off of the tee shots to keep the ball in the fairway. (the big hitters on the LPGA average in the 270’s – take off 15-20 yards when the fairways are narrowed) when you bring rough, even LPGA rough, into the equation, you bring in a need for strength (that most women don’t have) and a lack of control over the ball (which the women can’t afford). scores go up and people stop watching, or courses get even shorter.
bombers on the men’s tour don’t care where the ball ends up because they can muscle the ball out and around or onto the green and have it stop because they can put enough spin on the ball. the women’s game depends on hitting the ball from the short grass for control. grow rough 1 1/2-2” and they will have a hard time controlling the ball on the green. Annika Sorenstam said that the women don’t work on their short games enough to be able to afford to miss a lot of greens and expect to shoot a good score. (she learned this after playing The Colonial and watching them practice)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 24, 2008 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wei
So many people are acting like Wei is walking away from the LPGA. She doesn’t belong to the LPGA. She has one opportunity to belong this year still and would like to. She is the 5th highest paid female athlete in all of female sports (not tour earnings) so she can’t be too stupid. It’s been impossible to earn an LPGA card with her wrist injury and going to Stanford. She will do well at the Reno/Tahoe Open this week.
by halhobbs on Jul 27, 2008 6:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
actually...
...he HAS turned her nose up at the LPGA – several times. She has said since she was 13 that she would rather play with the men than the women. It’s not a matter of belonging TO the LPGA – it’s belonging WITH the LPGA.
...signing a contract doesn’t require intelligence. What would’ve required intelligence was NOT signing those contracts and bringing on more pressure than she could handle, and give her time to develop as a player with the amateurs.
...she has had 5 other opportunities to make emough money to get her card for next year. In four of them, she either missed the cut or played very poorly. And we all know what she did with #5.
...she is not going to Stanford – she walked away from college.
...better put that house payment check in the mail before the tournament starts this week. She has made one cut in a men’s tournament – that was in Korea in a tournament that had one player ranked above 400. The rest of the field was in the Hooters Tour status range.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Jul 28, 2008 6:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Facebook, Twitter, & Podcasts - Oh My!
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
