Some Meandering Thoughts on Michelle Wie's Second Win
by Ryan Ballengee on Aug 30, 2010 11:22 AM EDT
in Pro Golf
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PrintLet's be brief here: every person remotely associated with the LPGA Tour and women's golf has to be happy about Michelle Wie's second career pro win yesterday in Winnipeg. It was a three shot win that came out of nowhere. Pleasantly, it came before football season and against a PGA Tour event that, while compelling, couldn't completely overshadow Wie's Winnipeg win. (Like that?)
With the Tour suddenly embroiled in a now official investigation of cheating/conspiracy allegations made against two foreign-born players, the feel good story of the Tour's most recognizable face hoisting a trophy is good news. That said, the reaction to Wie's win in Mexico last year ranged from ushering in the Wie Era - who knew that Lorena Ochoa would retire four months later - to tepid excitement. Those who hedged on the latter were right, to this point at least.
One win neither an era nor a more developed domestic schedule make, though. In particular, a win in Canada does not have the same exchange rate in press coverage in the States as the two dollars do. That's not Wie's fault, but the jubilation of this 20-year-old winning in consecutive years needs to face that business problem.
The business also has to face the growing realization that Michelle Wie appears perfectly content with golf as just one part of her bigger life plan. Wie is a student and, for all the scoffing about her education when she first entered Tiger's faux alma mater, she appears to be taking school seriously. She has tweeted repeated about school and enjoying the college experience. She should. There is plenty of time to take on the world of professional golf when school is done.
In the interim, the LPGA has to manage to stay afloat by scrambling together whatever schedule it can until two things happen: (1) the American economy improves to the point that second-tier sports leagues can rake it in again and (2) the sport can identify its marketable superstar.
Women's tennis has superstars that play terrifyingly boring tennis like Caroline Wozniacki, but she's a looker, so it gives more camera time. It doesn't hurt that tennis seems to have a bench as deep as the European Ryder Cup hopefuls in terms of the combo of beauty and talent. As an observer of women's golf, there's no shortage of that on the LPGA Tour. The gap is identifying a player that wins consistently and looks great doing it - or someone who is just so good, so dominant that it is impossible to ignore them.
That honest business assessment aside, Wie's win definitely adds to the stature of the quickly transitioning generation of women's golf. Miyazato, Shin, Creamer, and Wie are all winners in 2010. In part due to retirements above her and partially due to the maturation of her game, Cristie Kerr is finally getting her time to shine. All five of them plus about six other players could legitimately be number one twelve months from now. In one sense, that's great - diversification is always a safe way to invest. Alternatively, individual sports thrive on winners. The sooner one of the dozen or so of contenders plants their stake atop Mount Good Golf (Chambers Bay?), the better for the sport.
As for Wie's sponsor Nike, they've had a solid year on the men's side, but having Wie and Suzann Pettersen be so successful in the last few seasons helps their brand in the women's game. Suggested by a friend via text, who would have guessed it would be this year that Michelle Wie wins more events than Tiger?
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“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.”
Like you said, RB, one win doesn’t make an era (neither does two – one per year) This win doesn’t do much past a small Wie-gasm for xxx Golf Channel and a handful of Wie band wagon riders. Just like it was 8 years ago, it’s still too early to pin the hopes of a tour on one player.
And sorry – women’s tennis hasn’t been interesting since Navratilova and Graf hung up the graphite. Baseline tennis is baseline tennis.
Tiger’s “faux alma mater” ?? Where did that come from ? Tiger never claims to be a graduate. (but his grasp of the English language doesn’t embarrass the school) He still supports the school and occassionally shows up at a game or at some function to support the golf team.
The LPGA will be just fine without Michelle Wie. They might have a spike if she actually gets all that talent together for a nice run towards the top of the rankings – maybe plays well in a few majors – but you can’t build a tour on tall and cute with a lot of potential.
Oh – and the LPGA isn’t “embroiled” in this cheating “scandal”. I doubt you’ll hear about it after this week unless some sort of extended suspension comes out. Then it might make the third segment of Golf Central. It will bother golfers who care about the rules, but these aren’t players that are going to make people gasp at the thought of a rules violation and players too embarrassed to admit what they did.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
you prefer serve (ace) and volley over baseline tennis? i would rather see a rally than a 1 or 2 shot point.
the women’s game is fine without michelle wie, but is a superior and more marketable product with her in the mix. i follow the women’s game, but watched more this weekend because of michelle wie.
you’re 15 years behind the times. Most of men’s tennis isn’t just big serving anymore. The guys have caught up with the serves and return very well. I WISH the men hit more volleys. American men’s tennis, thanks in big part to Patrick McEnroe’s influence over the USGA’s teaching, has become boring baseline tennis. I’ll be thriled when McEnroe goes away and someone steps up to remind the men that there is a lot of area between the baseline and the net. Learn to play the rest of the game – not just a big serve and if it comes back, trade groundies like the girls.
Michelle Wie is marketable – just like Gulbis – based on looks. Right now, it’s mostly hype with a big smile attached.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
The LPGA: Second (Or Even Third) Tier in a Niche Sport
The LPGA is interesting, there’s some good (and occasionally great) golf in it, but let’s be honest: it barely gets much attention in the world of golf and is hardly a blip on the American sporting landscape.
All you need to know about its place is this: Golf Channel put coverage of their tournament on last week at 12am, behind the PGA Tour (no surprise there) and then the Champions Tour coverage. That tells you where it ranks right there.
As for Wie, I think that she is clearly improving and that she may yet fill the potential that described her teen years. She needs to work on parts of her game (like putting) but she really is a three or four tool player other than that. Thing is, and as I can very sorely attest to you, your score is made with your putter. Until she finds a deadly-aim with that flatstick, she will be just another nice player who wins from time to time.
As I have said in the past.
Sponsors more than anything drive up the ratings. Nike/Golf Channel. When in any history of any sport have you seen the #12 in anything be promoted so much ?
Yes Ms Wie is ranked #12 and is sponsored by Nike.
If Ms. Wie was 5’3" and 165 lbs and still played the same as she does now, you wouldn’t even hear about her.
Sadly, Suzann Pettersen barely gets a mention at all, 14 lpga starts and 10 top 10’s this year. Yeah worth talking about indeed. How about Miyazato ?
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Pettersen would be way up on the promotion list if she could stay healthy. That back of hers keeps costing her in the win column. Love watching her play – hate watching her grab her back….something Wie was also doing a lot of over the weekend. Keep your fingers crossed this isn’t Pettersen 2.0.
Oh – #12 being overhyped ? Natalie Gulbis and her spectacular looks. A lot of times she wasn’t even as high as #12, but was the poster child for the LPGA.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Correct about Nat. court
Like I said earlier, 5’ 3" and 165 = no media attention at all.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Pro. I was referring to the two girls lack of recognition on TGC and or Nike.
by chip n'putt on Aug 30, 2010 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I hear ya C&P
And on that note as is the case with the PGA. The Golf Channel calls themself “Golfs Home” but thats a lot of BS.
They only promote the Tigers and the Wie’s and the Natalie Gulbis’s rather than promoting the sport itself.
To them over at Golf Channel / Comcast / Nike Channel / Wie Channel / Tiger Channel all they care about is $$$ and not the fans.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
I just got 2 emails in my inbox.
one from Golf.com – Subject line: Forecast: Kuchar Wins Barclays; Monty Makes Ryder Picks
the other from Golf Channel – Subject Line: Another Big Win for Big Wiesy; Kuchar Claims Barclays in Playoff
I don’t get the Golf Channel, but you seem to be exactly right PG.
I write about golf at www.tees2greens.com, too.
Maybe on that email – but Barclays and Ryder Cup came ahead of Wie on Golf Central. She’s the hype, no doubt – but she doesn’t pay the freight at xxx Golf Channel – the PGA Tour still does.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
It just surprised me...
it would be the subject line vs. the Barclays/Ryder Cup news from yesterday. I don’t watch GC, so I didn’t know anything other than what I saw and after reading what PG wrote it just clicked.
I write about golf at www.tees2greens.com, too.
Don’t suppose you’d believe it was just a southern gentleman writing the headline and going with “ladies first” ? :-D
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Orlando Is The South?
Being from Cocoa Beach originally — 50 miles east or Orlando — I never thought of O-town or even mine as being part of the old line South.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 30, 2010 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Last Night on Golf Central
Wie was first, Kuchar was second and then the Ryder Cup. At least on my TV.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Wie: Nike & IMG
Think that xGC might be paying homage to IMG and to Nike via Wie and Woods?
by Charles Boyer on Aug 30, 2010 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Sorenstam & Ochoa were pretty popular
but undoubtedly a winning Wie would drive up the ratings (at least in the US). I like Kerr, Pettersen, Shin & Miyazato and am quite enjoying the jockeying for position.
Nope C & P...Jump has had a fixation with Muscles Pettersen
for some time…I too have to say, she should get more recognition….and has had a good season so far…BUT…and this is a big thing….well I;m going to say 2 big things here….the first is her “hang dog look” when things just don’t or aren’t going her way….Saw tons of that again Sunday….Not one smile, as all the others did….could it be that the fun has gone out unless she is winning? Secondly, I noticed a very evident enlargement of her butt….this very accentuated by the white shorts…..I was hoping they wouldn’t split each time she bent over…Jumpin…do you suppose this is from all the working out in the gym? At any rate, she is getting “hippy”…jist an observation ya unnerstan….and it’s been advertising that has driven our lives for how long? that’s why companies do it…and look at how many people it puts to work…..STUB
Suzanne is her own worst enemy. If she could let the bad shots go, then she would be a lot better for it. She is probably, the best ball striker out there, but the mindset sometimes is lacking. Pity, because she is a great player.
by chip n'putt on Aug 30, 2010 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
The only professional women's circuit the US marketplace has consistently supported in women's tennis
And that is partially because the culture of women’s tennis allows for the marketing of pulchritude, something women’s golf is not as keen on. Wie could win 5 tournaments in 2011 and the LPGA will, for the most part, be where it is from a business sense currently.
The biggest mistake Bivens made was not realizing sponsorship of LPGA tourneys were made less because of cold business returns and more becasue of relationships and history.
not to keen on ? or they stopped pushing the “sex sells” angle because it didn’t work ?
Golf just doesn’t get the credit it deserves for being athletic. Chicks bouncing around the court in sports bras and short shorts screaming when they hit a lob or a drop shot works in the “sex sells” arena. Womens golf rarely looks like there is any effort. There are some very muscular men who swing very hard at the ball – but the women are, for the most part, smooth and easy (and still hit it past most of us men).
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Outside of Jan Stephenson and Natalie Gulbis...
what golfer of note (to eliminate Anna Rawson) tried the “sex sells” route for more exposure (excuse the pun).
And I’m not pushing for more LPGA stars to do so. But it does seem that a bikini shoot is part of the package when a tennis player hits #1.
The knock on Wie when she quit playing amateur events was that she wouldn’t learn how to win. The two wins, particularly in Canada, may show that she’s moving beyond that. She was challenged more than once in the tournament, but she pressed ahead regardless. The fact that Shin faltered helped, but maybe Jiyai pressed too hard because she knew Michelle wasn’t going to back off.
I suppose it doesn’t hurt Wie’s image that she’s tall and attractive, but it’s her swing and the distance she gets from it that got her the exposure.
Nike sponsored players, Pettersen and Wie, have back problems. Come on conspiracy theorists!
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
We should conspire against the conspiracy theorists.
Who’s with me? Niblic?
My fridge was empty last nite and I didn't feel like going
to the store, so I made a bowl of Hamburger Helper mixed with Tuna Helper. Not bad. Tasted like chicken somehow.
LOLOL
Sounds like Cousin Eddie on Lampoons Family Vacation, grilling Hamburger Helper without the hamburger.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
No, but I did order a pizza a few nights ago. The pizza guy asked me
if he should cut it into six slices or eight, to which I replied, “Oh, cut it into six. I could never eat eight.”
a pizza burger ? haven’t heard of that. what is it – pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings on a bun ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Pizza sauce and toppings on a hamburger. Sounds disgusting.
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
why ? it’s a burger with tomato sauce, cheese, and…whatever you like on a pizza…unless you just get hamburger on your pizza :-)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I usually get my pizza sliced 8 ways instead of 16 – I can’t eat 16 slices. :-D
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I disagree, court. I think you could,
with enough Pepsi.
NEVER !! Pepsi is the drink of Northern Aggression – it’s Coke down here :-)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Pepsi Was Invented in New Bern NC
Bet you didn’t know that by Caleb Bradham invented Pepsi in the 1890’s here and that only when the company went bankrupt in the Great Depression did it move to New York.
Besides, a REAL southerner drinks RC Cola. That came from Columbus.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 30, 2010 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Only if there’s a fresh Moon Pie on hand :-) RC was also bottled in Evansville, IN – where I was born – used to drink it when we visited the grandparents.
Coca Cola is Atlanta all the way. The Baptist Student Union at Georgia State used to be located in the building where it was first sold (for you history trivia buffs)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Heh !!
And people give me sh*t about Fish Tacos. Imagine that.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Maui Wowie Tacos
Food that makes you want munchies and also makes you want to listen to Pink Floyd.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 30, 2010 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I have have desert
unless my girlfriend is around and its non-food related. jes sayin I’m still upset she didn’t tell me about that sand trap photo shoot.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Naturally. Desert is too sandy.
Dessert, however …
Unless it is Just Deserts
That can be gritty but isn’t necessarily made of sand.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 30, 2010 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Very clever, Charles.
I’m sending you a sleeve of Ring Dings.
LMAO!!
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
Petteren Does have a verifiable Back Condition
And has had so for years now.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Speaking of tennis...
…The Tennis Channel has Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova calling matches. SO much better than anything the big networks roll out.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Theres a Tennis Channel ?
Please tell me it’s not owned and operated by Comcast.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
beats me who owns it – it’s a premium channel here and I’m not going to pay for it, but they turned it on for the US Open early rounds. It might be owned by Comcast – they take old matches and let modern doofus announcers do the voice overs – so it’s on the same level of bad announcing.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Court, if and when some announcer announces your entry into heaven,
don’t knock the announcer. Just proceed quietly.
I Hope Martini Is Being a Bigger Man than Connors
She can be a little overbearing at times…
by Charles Boyer on Aug 30, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Re your headline, Ryan, maybe you should leave the meandering to us, your commenters.
We’re gonna dot that anyway.
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