golfrewind.com

By the way, if anyone knows the specifics of her wrist injury, I would like to know.

Did she sprain her wrist, inflame it, break or fracture a bone, have ligament or tendon damage?

Here is part of the interview:

Annika: "I just feel that there's a little bit of lack of respect and class just to leave a tournament like that and then come out and practice here," said Sorenstam, who soldiered on for four days despite returning from a back and neck injury.

"It's a little funny that you pull out with an injury and then you start grinding. My doctor told me to rest."

Sorenstam was quick to note that Wie received a sponsor's exemption to the tournament. That means she was invited. The feeling on the LPGA Tour is that Wie has mistaken invitation for entitlement.

Only it is becoming apparent that Wie doesn't see it that way.

She opened her press conference Tuesday afternoon wanting to clarify a few issues from last week. One suspected there might be an apology to the tournament sponsors for a situation beyond her control. Instead, she explained when she injured her wrist during the tournament (first hole), how she injured her wrist in the first place (running in a park) and that she still wasn't 100 percent.

"I'm going through a hard time," she said. "It's my first time facing an injury."

Asked about Sorenstam's criticism, Wie said nothing was said to her and she had nothing to say back.

"I don't think I need to apologize for anything," she said. "I just have to take care of my body and move forward and only think of positive things."

Those are becoming hard to find.

The hysteria over Wie was at a high last year at Bulle Rock. She had narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, stopped only by her putting at the Canoe Brook qualifier. She was poised to become golf's youngest major champion until a wayward wedge from the 16th fairway of the final round at the LPGA Championship.

But her game began to disintegrate that summer. She was taken away on a stretcher from the John Deere Classic. She finished dead last in consecutive weeks in Switzerland and Pennsylvania competing against the men. She failed to break 80 at the Casio World Open on the Japanese tour. She even struggled against the women, finishing 17th in a field of 20 at the Samsung World Championship.

Her troubles now go beyond the wrist injury and her swing.

She talked endlessly Tuesday about wanting to have fun, yet there was a quiver in her voice, and no one would have been surprised to see a tear. One minute she begged for patience, the next she was defiant as ever.

Along with public criticism from Sorenstam and private skepticism from a host of others, she was further rattled when LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens spoke to her camp about her behavior in the Ginn pro-am.

"I think it was very insulting because I tried my best," Wie said. "It's my sixth year out here, and I played in numerous pro-ams, and I think it's ridiculous to make any false accusations about me. I just hope she gets better information."

The nature of the complaints remained a mystery. Wie said she was busy with housing applications at Stanford and "way too many other things to stress about," and suggested someone take it up with her manager or Bivens.

"You should talk to the commissioner," agent Greg Nared said.

Bivens did not make herself available, saying through a spokeswoman that the conversation was between her and the Wies.

By all accounts, an LPGA Tour official was involved in discussions with the Wie camp about the tour's infamous "Rule 88" shortly before she withdrew. It would have been interesting to see what the tour would have done had Wie finished her round and shot 88 or worse, because it has a recent history of amending the rules for a certain teenager from Hawaii.

Remember, the rules were changed in 2005 that allowed Wie to become the first amateur to compete in the LPGA Championship. That was the same year the Women's British Open no longer counted against the limit of six LPGA exemptions.

Wie, whose class at Punahou School went through commencement without her Saturday night in Honolulu, said she would be patient with herself and asked others to do the same.

"I'm only human," she said.

But she is no longer the prodigy that amazed the golf world with such power for such youth.

She is 17, but no longer a kid.

There was a time the LPGA Tour needed Wie a lot more than Wie needed the LPGA Tour. That might not be the case anymore.

People are far more willing to forgive a bad round than bad manners.

Wow, that says a lot about the opinions of her with the tour and with her past supporters. Seems to be turning strongly against her if she doesn't do something to correct it.

Bill3508

Personally, I think she should forget about professional golf, go to Stanford, enjoy the college experience, and play golf there. (Of course, her "handlers" would never permit it, and she probably has endorsement contracts that she has to fulfill).

On top of that, I am not sure that you are allowed to play college golf after you have turned pro!

Good point. From the USGA:

2-1. General
An amateur golfer must not take any action for the purpose of becoming a professional golfer and must not identify himself as a professional golfer.
Note: Such actions include applying for a professional’s position; directly or indirectly receiving services or payment from a professional agent or sponsor, commercial or otherwise; directly or indirectly entering into a written or oral agreement with a professional agent or sponsor, commercial or otherwise; and agreeing to accept payment or compensation for allowing one’s name or likeness as a player of golf skill or reputation to be used for any commercial purpose.
Exception 1: Applying unsuccessfully for the position of assistant professional.
Exception 2: Entering and playing in any stage of a competition to qualify for a professional tour, provided the player first waives his right to any prize money.
2-2. Professional Golfers Organization
An amateur golfer must not apply for or receive benefit from membership in any organization of professional golfers.
3-1. Playing for Prize Money
An amateur golfer must not play golf for prize money or its equivalent in a match, tournament or exhibition.
Note: A player may participate in an event in which prize money or its equivalent is offered, provided that prior to participation he irrevocably waives his right to accept prize money in that event. (See USGA Policy on Gambling for explanation of playing for prize money.)

However, from Southern Illinois University Golf Online, in part:

The Professional Golfer
You are a professional if you get paid to play golf on any level though, so if you win money in a scramble and accept it, you technically are a professional golfer. What does this mean? It means any top amateur, college player, high school golfer, etc, must never accept money to play golf if he or she wants to maintain amateur status. Once you become a professional golfer, it can take up to two years to get your amateur status back.

It's possible to get your amateur status back after being a "professional" but I think it depends on the circumstances. I don't think it's meant for former pros who make a living off of it. For example, if Annika were to decide to retire, I don't think she could wait a couple of years and then expect to compete in the U.S. Amateur championships. Same with Michelle. College golf would be out of the question for her.

I do think a little time off would help her. Shooting in the 80's, injury or not, seems like a far cry from where she was even last year. I think a lot of it is mental and trying to push yourself to come back sooner probably isn't helping.

Here are the pre-tournament interview transcripts for the LPGA Championship.

LPGA.com

My amateur status is in no fear of being changed.

From what I'm able to gather, the thing about Michelle Wie and Bivens is that her pro-am partners weren't too happy about her play out there.

has anyone heard anything more on this? it seems kind of overboard to complain about not doing well in the pro-am. there must be something else to it.

Don't know.

Let's consider the following:

1. Wie pulls out of the Ginn immediately after her agent talks to her.
2. Wrist injury is the reason given.
3. The following week she shows up at another tournament, plays the pro-am. By the way, the Golf Channel reports that she took one day off between the Ginn and showing up at the next tournament and hit practice balls. All this with just one day off? Not much of an injury.
4. Between the pull-out of the Ginn and the Pro-Am, I presume her wrist healed? It must have or it healed sufficiently such that she could play i guess with pain. But the pain could not have been much because she played and intends to play the tournament!

With respect to the press conference, I pitied her. She is under a lot of stress. I think she is torn between college and pro golf and she doesnt know what she wants. She has so many people handling her affairs, telling her what to do, that she gets confused. Rule 88 was not foremost on her mind. but i am sure it was on her agents and parents.

This kid is being pulled in too many directions. Yeah, she is 17 but hey when you were 17, did you have the confidence and sense of direction you do now? Or did you look for direction from parents and others.

I am not angry with her conduct so much as i am with her parents in management team. Its all about money for them. If they are not careful they will ruin the goose that lays the golden eggs.

oh, by the way, where is Rodney? Hear that? yeah silence.

I feel bad for her because she still is just a teenage girl. A lot of people are really venomous towards her. Phil Mickelson & Natalie Gulbis both withdrew from their tournaments but you don't see the uproar you do with that. It's not like I'm a Michelle Wie fan, either. I don't think she belongs in PGA Tour events.

I do hope she can regroup and become a great golfer on the LPGA Tour. She has an immense amount of talent and if she can fulfill her potential, I think it will be good for her LPGA peers and for us, as fans of the sport.

When she was 16, she and her cohorts demanded the LPGA sign her as a professional. They claimed she was special and deserved to be a pro. The LPGA didn't let her in, and rightly so. So she and her angry clan then went to another part of the world and she bacame a "professional" golfer.

When a person becomes a pro, they have to answer the call of the pro. If there is controversy of any kind, a professional must answer to that, no matter the age, race or gender of that person.

Michelle Wie is a professional golfer, and she has to stick her face in the microphone and answer to the masses.. not her daddy, Nike, Sony, her agent, or anyone else. Whether she was pushed into it or not, Miss Wie put herself in this position, she has to take the heat.

Too bad kid.... you are now a pro. Deal with it.


And, just to make sure you all know... I am not a Wie basher/hater or supporter. I stand in the center, the realist if you will.

carry on..............

Did Michelle ever really want to join the LPGA? I've never heard of anything like that. I remember when there was speculation over it but nothing about the Wie camp ever asking the LPGA commissioner to let her in. The last paragraph I quote below also says the LPGA would probably let her in even though she's not 18 yet.

GolfDigest.com - More trouble for Wie at Bulle Rock