The Golf Watch

This would be the year for Michelle Wie to play at Sony

Michelle Wie received sponsors' exemptions to play in the Sony Open from 2004-2007.  This was wrong.

No, I'm not going to take the position that she shouldn't receive an exemption because she is stealing a spot from a fully capable male PGA Tour golfer with partial status.

I'm making that statement because she wasn't mentally ready.  Simple as that.

Although she had a couple of near misses there, most male golfers who are 15 years old aren't mentally prepared to compete on that stage.

Now that she has an LPGA Tour win under her belt, I think she is ready to tee it up with the big boys in front of the home crowd.

The Sony sponsors should have given her a call immediately after she won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational to express their interest.

Golf desperately needs a good story. Now more than ever.

American women need to step up on the major scene

I spent the day Sunday at the McDonald's LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock making my way from group to group and eventually following Paula Creamer for 18 holes.

The fans came out in impressive numbers Sunday, but I found something alarming: hardly anyone was following the last six or seven groups.  Most of the larger packs of fans were following four players who teed off much earlier in the day: Creamer, Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis, and Lorena Ochoa.

It was clear that few people cared enough about Anna Nordqvist and her stellar week-long performance to follow her around the course. 

It's a good sign that the Americans are getting fans excited, but we need these golfers and others like Morgan Pressel to start winning on the major scene--and soon.  As great as it is that we are growing the game abroad with new players being introduced each week, we need strong American players to keep fans interested until the end of telecasts.

I'm not writing this to offend players like Nordqvist or Kraft Nabisco winner Brittany Lincicome, but without household names like Creamer and Wie battling it out it out late in the day Sunday, what will keep fans from switching the channel and potentially never turning back?

(photo courtesy of Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun)

"This is a fresh start for Michelle on the course and off"

Beth Ann Baldry reports that Michelle Wie is expected to sign with IMG, a company that already has a rich LPGA clientele, including Annika Soresntam, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.

Wie leaving the William Morris Agency is the first smart move the Wie camp has made in quite some time.  Starting fresh with IMG Golf, headed by Mark Steinberg, is a much needed change after years of mismanagement.

Now, the Wie parents should take a hands-off approach--namely trust Steinberg and his group to take care of the one of the richest golfers in the game.    

"Yes Wie Can"

Forget all of up the ups and down, trials and tribulations, Michelle Wie is officially an LPGA Tour member--and it couldn't have come at a better time for a Tour that has been treading water of late.

Wie posted a final-round 74 at the final stage of Q-School, leaving her at 12-under-par for the tournament, well inside the top-20 on the leaderboard.

I think David Leadbetter summed it up best, saying in this Eric Soderstrom piece...

“She needs the LPGA; I think the LPGA needs her,” Leadbetter said. “I think you can see by these crowds here. I don’t think that would have been the case if she wasn’t playing.

“So I think it’s wonderful for all concerned.”

I am assuming that Wie will take a full course load for her winter quarter, and then take off in the spring.

Wie opens strong at Q-School

Michelle Wie started the final stage of Q School on a good note with an opening round 3-under 69.  

Just as she had after the first stage, Wie opted against speaking to the press until the end of the tournament.  It looks like the Wie Camp is sticking with their original plan, the Frank Lickliter strategy.

Some of you might remember what Lickliter said when he broke his silence after placing first at Q-school in 2007:

Hogan never spoke to the media. It was my choice to not let anyone or anything interfere with what I was doing.  

Wie set for Q school

The news that Michelle Wie will try to qualify for the LPGA Tour through Q School has been extolled.  I couldn't disagree more.  Deeming it "practical" as Steve Elling characterized it seems like a stretch. 

Is Q School really the right choice for Wie at this time?  With her quarter at Stanford commencing in two weeks, she should be concentrating on her studies and making the most of her time as a college student.  If Wie gets through the first stage of Q School, she will have to travel to the finals, and then a day later final exams begin at Stanford. 

That's a lot of pressure, and the media won't be helping matters.

Wie falls short again

The Michelle Wie critics were silenced for a good 24-hours after her opening round 1-over 73.  That didn't last long.

A quintuple bogey on the par-4 8th, her 17th hole of the day Friday, meant that she was headed home early yet again.  What a shame--the girl has talent, and should have been playing in the Women's British Open.

Wie puts up solid first round

Michelle Wie posted a better score than 45+ male golfers, and has a shot at making the cut in Reno after firing a 1-over 73.  Check out the wire story here.

Stearns tells players not fully exempt to "play better"

The new tournament chairman of the Reno-Tahoe better take cover.  Michael Stearns had this to say to the press about Michelle Wie taking a spot away from a tour player:

There’s always going to be people on the bubble. No matter who it is, there’s always going to be somebody there.  And the only thing I’d like to say, and this is probably the wrong answer, but play better.  And you won’t have that issue amongst yourselves and you can tee it up on a PGA Tour event if you were in a better position. 

Let's hope this news doesn't get to Vijay.

"I actually thought it was a joke"

Sorry for the Michelle Wie overload, but we'll get back to business later tonight.  In case you missed Jay Williamson's quote from last night's Golf Central about Wie playing in next week's Reno-Tahoe Open:

When I saw it, I actually thought it was a joke quite honestly...

Williamson added that she is a heck of a player, but then made the "Singh-Sorenstam" argument from a few years back...

But darnit, there are too many men right now that could use that spot.  I know she is going to sell probably a lot more tickets than I will, but I would say it's surprising.  Good for the tournament I guess, but I don't think it's a real popular decision out here today.