Michelle Wie 24/7

[Bulls9999]

Frankly, I don't know what M.Wie's plan is. I doubt she'll be able to put sufficient practice in for LPGA golf to be a major factor and all the preparation may take away from her schooling....a half-hearted attempt at both, at best. At least if she had not gone pro and played college golf and let it go at that until she graduated (kinda like Tiger), perhaps playing some pro tournies in the summer as an amateur, she could have at least benefited from trying to get a normal education. If that's not the interest, then why go half-hearted with this Pro/but not LPGA member status nonsense? Does she believe the hype in herself as well (as some kind of WonderWoman who can make a stab at going pro while simultaneously taking on a full term at college)?

Originally Posted by petermo

It's a move in the right direction!

[Dormie]

Originally Posted by Dormie

Big paycheck for Michelle this week! $2,570

Not bad for 3 days of playing golf. I'd take that.

Considering it would probably cost any one of us that much to play golf in Hawaii for 3 or 4 days!

[GolfSavage]

Originally Posted by Bulls9999

... At least if she had not gone pro and played college golf and let it go at that until she graduated (kinda like Tiger), perhaps playing some pro tournies in the summer as an amateur, she could have at least benefited from trying to get a normal education....

Well, Tiger kinda never graduated!

I think she enjoys some of the benefits of not being an LPGA member, like going to courses where events are about to be held and practicing when the LPGA members cannot. Also, she probably realizes she cannot attempt to aquire a college education and play the necessary number of LPGA events to maintain her membership, so by playing when "invited", she gets to try to further her professional career and her education.

[Leaguegolf]

Wie stated in a recent interview that it may take her 7 or 8 years to graduate and that doesn't sound to me like someone who is dedicated to an education or to professional golf. IMO...The Stanford campus, however brief, is an escape from her parents.

Wie is well past the age to be accepted as an LPGA member and its obvious that she has no intentions of of doing so. I wonder how long the LPGA and it's members will pander to Wie if she fails to play well enough in her limited number of 2008 LPGA appearances to gain any status for more 2008 events or 2009 LPGA membership.

Team Wie was very shrewd in taking the millions when she was a young phenom because its highly unlikely those millions would be available to her today.

[Game Face]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

Wie is well past the age to be accepted as an LPGA member and its obvious that she has no intentions of of doing so. I wonder how long the LPGA and it's members will pander to Wie if she fails to play well enough in her limited number of 2008 LPGA appearances to gain any status for more 2008 events or 2009 LPGA membership.

How do you think she is going to do this year? She's got herself two good rounds and one bad one. She should make more cuts and possibly have a few top ten finishes.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Game Face

How do you think she is going to do this year? She's got herself two good rounds and one bad one. She should make more cuts and possibly have a few top ten finishes.

Make that 1 good round (-2), one poor round (+1), and one terrible round (+6). Considering Wie played basically a home game here, the only positive note is that she finally made a cut. After doing so she promptly returned to her 2007 self, shot 78, and finished dead last. Wie fans are welcome to spin that however they like.

One tournament is to little to judge by but Wie had better improve greatly, and soon, if she expects the opportunity to continue to play on the the LPGA Tour. I'll reserve judgement on the beginning of her 2008 season until Wie has played her first 3 tournaments.

[rodney_c]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

Wie is well past the age to be accepted as an LPGA member and its obvious that she has no intentions of of doing so. I wonder how long the LPGA and it's members will pander to Wie if she fails to play well enough in her limited number of 2008 LPGA appearances to gain any status for more 2008 events or 2009 LPGA membership.

She's not well past the age to join, just a few months actually. And she will join the lpga tour at the next available opportunity, hopefully through 2008 earnings, although she will need to get more than $2.5k in the other tourneys.
I am hoping the usga make her qualify for the US Women's Open regardless, she needs the competitive practice and the proverbial boot up the behind.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by rodney_c

She's not well past the age to join, just a few months actually. And she will join the lpga tour at the next available opportunity, hopefully through 2008 earnings, although she will need to get more than $2.5k in the other tourneys.
I am hoping the usga make her qualify for the US Women's Open regardless, she needs the competitive practice and the proverbial boot up the behind.

In all likelyhood, Wie could've become an LPGA member when she turned pro a couple of years ago had she petitioned the LPGA as several players considerably younger than Wie have done. Wie is not an LPGA member right now because Wie chose not to become and LPGA member, not because she wasn't old enough.

She had better improve quickly or that "next opportunity" may be next year's LPGA Q-School.

[rodney_c]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

In all likelyhood, Wie could've become an LPGA member when she turned pro a couple of years ago had she petitioned the LPGA as several players considerably younger than Wie have done. Wie is not an LPGA member right now because Wie chose not to become and LPGA member, not because she wasn't old enough.

Not true. Had Wie petitioned at that stage, she had just turned 17. The only two players in the history of the lpga tour (hardly several) who joined younger than 18 were Morgan Pressel and Aree Song, and both were very close to their 18th birthdays. Wie was correct not to join the lpga so young, I don't think any girl should join that young except maybe in Pressel's case where she would turn 18 within a couple of months of joining the tour.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by rodney_c

Not true. Had Wie petitioned at that stage, she had just turned 17. The only two players in the history of the lpga tour (hardly several) who joined younger than 18 were Morgan Pressel and Aree Song, and both were very close to their 18th birthdays. Wie was correct not to join the lpga so young, I don't think any girl should join that young except maybe in Pressel's case where she would turn 18 within a couple of months of joining the tour.

I won't get into the debate as to whether Wie would've been denied LPGA membership prior to turning 18. I think that is a foregone conclusion.

So you think Wie was too young to join the LPGA but not too young to take advantage of the opportunities the LPGA afforded her? Early in Wie's career the LPGA needed Wie more than Wie needed the LPGA. Those tables have turned.

[rodney_c]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

So you think Wie was too young to join the LPGA but not too young to take advantage of the opportunities the LPGA afforded her? Early in Wie's career the LPGA needed Wie more than Wie needed the LPGA. Those tables have turned.

Then why are big events like the Safeway International still happy to hand her exemptions?

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by rodney_c

Then why are big events like the Safeway International still happy to hand her exemptions?

Because Safeway International needs the publicity, not the LPGA. Wie has become a footnote, an afterthought, an oh by the way, as far as LPGA fans are concerned. The LPGA no longer needs Wie to get noticed in the golf world. As I said, the tables have turned.

[rodney_c]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

Because Safeway International needs the publicity, not the LPGA. Wie has become a footnote, an afterthought, an oh by the way, as far as LPGA fans are concerned. The LPGA no longer needs Wie to get noticed in the golf world. As I said, the tables have turned.

A footnote. Oh please !!!!!

Why don't you read this post by an anti-Wie person on the golf channel forum:

I was looking at TGC homepage late last night and saw Wie's name mentioned in four sections and her picture was in three different places...had to dig down to the "headlines" section, very small print, to find mention of Paula's comeback win. And not one pic of Paula.
Pathetic ain't it?

A footnote, hmm.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by rodney_c

A footnote. Oh please !!!!!.

The Golf Channel continues their love affair with Wie. The mainstream media has dumped her faster than last week's news.

[rodney_c]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

The Golf Channel continues their love affair with Wie. The mainstream media has dumped her faster than last week's news.

Simply not true.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by rodney_c

Simply not true.

Maybe not in your world but ESPN, all the Detroit TV stations, the Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, and my local paper, had very little, or nothing at all, to say about Wie at all and this was her big coming out party. I'm curious to see what the weekly and monthly national golf mags have to say about Wie. My bet is......not much.

[Leaguegolf]

My bet of "not much" was a winner.

GolfWorld writes......... Michelle Wie, in her first tournament since last October, continued the disappointing pattern of play she established last year, closing with a 78 on her home course to tie for last among those that made the cut at four-over 220, 20 strokes behind Creamer. "There's room for improvement, but I felt I did a pretty good job for my first tournament," Wie said.

While Wie said at the Fields that she did not know when she would play next, sources told GolfWorld she has been offered, and likely will accept, and invitation to the Safeway International near Phoenix march 27-30.

Barely a footnote in the world of women's golf.

[CG8]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

Maybe not in your world but ESPN, all the Detroit TV stations, the Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, and my local paper, had very little, or nothing at all, to say about Wie at all and this was her big coming out party. I'm curious to see what the weekly and monthly national golf mags have to say about Wie. My bet is......not much.

I agree . Michele who ? I live in the same area as you do and I forgot all about her until I seen this topic and I watch the Golf Channel on regular basis . Seems to me that Paula Creamer is the star for the women now . I think she has accomplished more than Michele will ever accomplish . Just my opinion .

[Darth Fader]

Originally Posted by rodney_c

Simply not true.

Over here it is,she hardly rates a mention unless its less than flattering,the concensus is she has taken the money and given nothing in return.

[CG8]

Has she even won a tournament

[sam]

Wie enters US Women's Open Qualifying:
news story