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Wie making the cut at the Lumber Classic would be one great sporting achivement, but it is unlikely to happen.

The Lumber appearance is a favour to a family friend, quite a stupid reason for entering an event, and is not one that she should be playing.

Ohhhh, silly me... I thought that was the idea behind staying an ametuer, that whole getting ready for something bigger.

When you announce, in a huge press conference, that you are turning professional... When you state that you consider Tiger your competition, not Annika... I misunderstood that to mean, I am ready.

My Bad.

In that case, why didn't she turn professional after the PubLinks in 2003??? It seems to me that she was just as ready then.

No, that's what you're imagining everyone is saying, because putting it that way makes it easy for you to argue against.

What Olsons3 said - and what has been said before - is, when you say, "I'm a professional golfer," you are a professional golfer.

"But she's only 16," "But she's just a girl"... uh-uh. No more. She made the decision to turn pro, and that's that. If she didn't feel she could compete at the pro level yet, she should've stayed an amateur.

No problem. You just got it wrong.
People turn pro usually when they think they can make enough usually by prize money, enough to sustain themselves, maybe gain a tour card.

Wie was absolutely ready to make money on the lpga as she has shown by winning 700,000 in just 7 lpga events.

Surely you agree that she was ready as a pro on the lpga tour?
She was right to turn pro for womens events.

Maybe she wasn't ready to be a pro in the mens game, but there is no option that she could turn pro for womens events and remain an amateur for mens events.

No, it's distinctly different. He took exemptions as an amateur. When he felt ready to compete as a pro, he turned pro.

It's not even remotely close to being the same thing.

I absoltutely agree, and that's where she should be playing.

She can't compete against the men - even you acknowledge that. There's a difference between "playing with" and "competing against." She cannot compete against the men, period.

Nobody has a problem with her playing in women's events. As a matter of fact, it's encouraged.

Which is her goal??? LPGA or PGA???

Well, I'm Audi on this one. We saw how she played this week, and for all the predictions, we still see the same old excuses and justifications.

There's really no point in discussing the issue further, as her play has entirely justified my "analysis," as it were.

Godspeed, olsons3.

"I'm still in shock. I didn't know what sport I was playing out there.
I woke up on the wrong side of the bed again. I really just couldn't
get anything going."
-MW-


TGIF!!!

I am having a lot of trouble holding my lunch down as I keep reading Tiger Woods mentioned in the same sentence as Michelle Wie. The two could not be at any more opposite ends of the spectrum right now. Trying to compare what Tiger did over 10 years ago to what MW is doing right now, makes NO sense.

Tiger Woods is among a SHORT list of athletes in the history of the world who have achieved LIGHT years above and beyond the early expectations they were held to. And of that short list, he's probably light years above the rest on the list.

What Michelle is doing right now is the important statistic of note. She is making a mess of the mens events she is entering. Period. It's likely damaging her confidence and leaving her open to far too much ridicule from us and the media in general.

I think that Michelle is a wonderfully talented young lady. And I'll be the first to say that when I watch her in womans events, she appears to fit in with the talent level...EASILY. In fact, I'd go as far to say that she is in the top 5, even at her young age, in talent on the LPGA. She WILL dominate on the LPGA...

But enough with the mens events already. Politely decline the sponsors exemptions until another episode like this MC really damages her confidence for good.

Thank you.

I would still bet she won't be in the sport after 5 years. With nike paying her stupid amounts of money just for being her, she will have all the money ever needed at 21 or so and just go retire at the big island. You didn't know what sport you were playing ? how stupid can you get, PR NIGHTMARE

"and play good golf." that's the key. She doesnt play good golf in men's events. in this one she is laughable.

gimme a break!

Unfortunately, she lacks the maturity to decline sponsor exemptions. She should decline men's event invites until she has a chance at winning (which may never occur). But, again, as i have said before, she is probably contractually obligated to play in all mens events where the event operator has an endorsement deal with her (ie Sony).

Your probelm is because you are not understanding what is being discussed.

Nobody has claimed in this thread that Michelle is as good, or will be as good as Tiger.

I merely quoted the performances of Tiger, because they were sponsors exemptions, and because he performed worse than her an still got more exemptions.

Untrue, in her 8 mens professional events, for 14 years old and onwards, she has done well on the whole.
One bad event does not make a bad player.

We're discussing the SAME things we always discuss. Every single Michelle thread, whatever the title you give it, morphs into the same discussion (much to your dismay I can imagine). And if it's a men's event, following the MC MC MC WD MC and now a second from dead-last finish they all become you justifying her need to be there and most of the rest of us taking the other side.

As I stated, I enjoy watching her play. Her talent is going to eventually bring her to the top of the LPGA, I would bet on that.

Though I can't recall the last time I contributed to these repetitive threads, I simply wanted to restate my position. She needs to politely decline these exemptions to men's event. Pure and simple. A time will come where it becomes more useful to her career development.