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Great play from Michelle and Laura and a very good attempt.

Interesting Stats
Lorena had 11 dropped shots in the tournament.
Karrie had 10 dropped shots.
Davies had 8 dropped shots.
Wie had 6 dropped shots.

Karrie won the golf tournament. The others didn't lose it.
Birdies on 12, 14 and 17. That's the story of it.

Troll would like people to think otherwise, but Michelle played very steady.
- Michelle's last round 68, was her 2nd best round of the tournament.
Her rounds were: 69, 66, 70, 68.
- As regards the back nine, Michelle's had a 35, her 2nd best back 9 of the tournament.
Her back nine's were: 36, 34, 36, 35.

Michelle played the last 10 holes in -3. Unfortunately she met someone who played a bit better.

Im not trying to make anyone think anything, I posted the stats, Im just saying what it is, she is a great player that has yet learned to win at the professional level. As I have said throughout this thread, I am in agreement with the fact that what she has accomplished is phenomenal, my problem is that no matter what news you see about the tournaments she is in, she is always the lead story, even when she tries to play on the PGA and misses cut after cut, she is STILL the lead story. Let her win AT LEAST one tournament before she is given the key to the Hall of Fame. .

The 10 leading players, total putts for the tournament:
Mi Hyun Kim 107
Michelle Wie 112
Laura Davies 113
Jeong Jang 113
Christie Kerr 113
Karrie Webb 114
Se Ri Pak 115
Annika Sorenstam 115
Paula Creamer 119
Lorena Ochoa 123

Greens In Regulation:
Lorena Ochoa 59
Karrie Webb 58
Paula Creamer 58
Michelle Wie 56
Se Ri Pak 54
Laura Davies 53
Mi Hyun Kim 52
Annika Sorenstam 52
Christie Kerr 49
Jeong Jang 48

The odd thing about her to me is how ho-hum she is about it. I remember when she finished the final round of the Women's U.S. Open and she said, "I really feel like my game's in good shape, etc. etc." I remember thinking HUH? If Tiger or any other great champion had just barely missed winning a major I doubt they'd be standing next to 18 nonchelantly talking about what great shape their game was in, as if they had just shot a 68 in the first round of the Timbucktoo Invitational.

She made similar comments after this tournament. Just strikes me as odd.

She isn't a great champion. Not yet anyway.

That's her good mental coaching. Teaching her to take the positives out of each tournament.
I think that is necessary for a golf player to improve. Take the positives, and work on the things that could have been played better.

In any case, she's probably been trained that she can cry all she likes when she goes home if she wants to, but stay calm, composed, and positive in front of the media.

Making $255,333 probably helps too. I know she isn't short of cash, but it's nice to earn big cheques on a golf course.

You don't have to tell me that

I see what you're saying, of course, but it's like she's not even disappointed. It's almost like, "Huh, I was 3rd instead of first. Oh well. I wonder what's on TV tonight." It's as though there's no drive to win, ya know?

If you added up the score for all of the LPGA tourney's Wie has played, she would have a lower total score than any other golfer. She has a better total score than Annika, Webb, Creamer, Pressel, Ochoa, etc. etc.

She is playing better than any women golfer right now and she's only 16. She consistantly beats all of these women. Her scores are better on average. A golf tourney is 4 rounds because that way there's a better chance of determining who was the best golfer. Obviously combining a season's worth of rounds would be an even better way of determining who the best golfer is.

Right now, that's Wie. Let's see if she can keep this up. The only reason Annika is ahead in the Rolex rankings is that she had a better record a year or two ago. Wie is playing better than anyone right now. Birdie Kim won a major last year, but I bet Wie is 100 or more strokes better than her in the tournaments since then. Something to think about when you're tempted to say that a win is everything.

By the way, Wie did win something, she won $255,333.

Actually, that's nothing to think about. Is golf about lowest average score, lower total score over the course of the season, etc. etc.? Nope. She hasn't won anything, no matter how much you try to make it seem like she has.

Oh, and to say that the only reason Annika is ahead of Wie in the Rolex rankings is that "she had a better record a year or two ago" is just plain laughable.

Maybe she can buy a second place trophy for herself.

Maybe she is just realistic.
At the Kraft, Karrie won, how many majors is that, 9 or something.
At lpga, Se Ri Pak won, another great champion.
Then us open, Annika won, enough said about her.

With Michelle trying to get her first win, put her against a great champion in a tight battle and it is going to be difficult for her to win.
Maybe she just realises that and is glad to be competing.

Also, more importantly, if Michelle were faltering near the end of the tournament, I think she would be far more disappointed. Since she's closing them out pretty well, and just getting beaten by players playing better, that eases the disappointment a bit.

Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but I'm confused by posters that try to use a 2nd place finish (a 272 vs. the 1st place finish of 273) to prove that Wie doesn't deserve attention as a young and very remarkable player. Isn't this type of performance obviously additional proof that she is a remarkable player for her age. And, the fact that she does this on a regular basis, even more proof that she is something special? Nike sees the stats and understands this and so do most golf fans. What makes some people think that a 2nd place finish in a high profile tourney is a proof that Wie is flawed? Maybe it's these backseat drivers that are flawed in someway.

Wie beat Sorenstam by 6, Creamer by 4, Jang by 6, Kerr by 7, Inkester by 11, Diaz by 14, Daniel by 14, Pak by 4 etc. These are all major winners.

She beat Birdie Kim by 35 shots (another major winner), Aree Song (multi tour winner) by 22, Linicome by 28 (the match play winner a couple weeks ago), Pressel by 14 (another hyped player), and so on and so on. This list could be very long because this tourney was the best of the best for the most part and Wie beat them all, except one.

And, she only trailed that one person by a score that was 1/3 of 1% different. Add this to the long list of exceptional performances by Wie, not to a list of why she is over hyped. Can anyone possibly disagree with that main point??

I see where you're coming from, but it wasn't about the other players, about losing to great champions, etc. (at least didn't seem that way to me). It really bordered on disinterest, kind of like I said before, "I didn't win. Oh well." There just didn't seem to be the fire, that drive to win, like you see from other players. I can understand if you came in 38th and said "My game is really coming along," but when you come in 3rd and had a chance to win, you would expect just more... interest in winning. I can't explain too well the feeling I got from listening to her. It was just an odd observation, or seemed so to me at the time.

Sixteen years old and competing at this level is NOT an "also ran". Get some perspective!