Michelle Wie, the 18-year-old golfer has been catching a lot of heat lately for her decision to skip major LPGA tournaments in order to play in PGA tournaments.
Wie was listed in qualifying for the Women's British Open at Sunningdale, but she pulled out and instead has decided to play in her eighth PGA tournament. Wie, who has yet to make the cut on the PGA Tour, has also yet to win on the women's tour.
Yet LPGA golfers seem to have taken a hard line response to Wie's decision. "I really don't know why Michelle continues to do this," said Annika Sorenstam, who is playing in her final major tournament in this week's Women's British Open.
Fellow LPGA golfer Helen Alfredsson added: "I think, if she wants to be a golfer, she should really concentrate on being on the women's tour and dealing with them and learning to win. Winning is what we are out here for, but I just don't see the interest really on being on the men's tour."
Wie, on the other hand, said she is trying to focus on having "fun" and isn't worried about whether she makes the 36-hole cut for the first time. At a July 25 news conference Wie stated:
I'm just doing what I feel like I want to do. I can't control, and I don't want to control, what other people think about me. People are going to write hateful stuff, and that's fine. All I can control is how I play. If I shoot some low scores and win some tournaments, you know, it's going to be hard to write bad stuff.
It just seems weird to me that it's even an issue for LPGA golfers that Wie decides to play with the men. If she's good enough to qualify, I don't see why the fact that there's no "L" in front of the organization sponsoring the event should matter. It's a sport, and if people are playing golf, it seems like a perfectly adequate venue for Wie to showcase her talents, regardless who she's playing against.
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Why the LPGA might be irritated as an organization: Wie is probably someone who has the potential to garner a boatload of media attention for the LPGA. More media means more $$. In the PGA she will get more personal media attention simply for being there, that means more money for her.
Why some of the athletes of the LPGA might be pissed: Because compared to some of her peers she does not belong on the PGA tour. She isn't at the top of her field, but she is moving past people who are. Those women who are at the top have little reason to leave the LPGA because they are more secure and making more money than they would in the PGA, but still resent Wie's "line skipping".
Her presence in the PGA may be a negative as some who don't want women to compete with men will point to her and say "See, women are not on par with men!" counting on most people's unfamiliarity with some of the real talent in the LPGA to agree. But I think she will ultimately have a lot of media attention, which will fizzle if she fails to make the cut or last through her presence in the tour, then lead to nada.
I don't for one minute buy her reasoning that it is more "fun" to play in the PGA. For one: How would she know? For two: She's an adult, she knows the men in the tour are going to be dicks or completely patronizing to her.
Look how the treated Tiger when he first broke out. It would be great if she were another woods, but Tiger was knocking them in solidly before the Open, Wie is looking like the Kournikova of golf right now. A lot of unearned attention, none of it based on her stats.
I think the LPGA players are also annoyed that Wie seems to be buying into the idea that the PGA is "real" golf, while the women's league is less-than. I go back and forth on the principle involved...But with this specific golfer, I think she should play where she can win. Which, right now, is neither league.
Michelle Wie (Wie Seong-mi) happens to be my favorite female athlete. I first learned of her while I was in Japan, hearing about this teen, an Asian-American from Hawaii making golf history, the most obvious being:
Youngest player ever to qualify for the Women's U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship (age 10, summer 2000)
Winner at age 11, Hawaii State Women’s Stroke Play Championship and the Jennie K. Wilson Women’s Invitational, the oldest and most prestigious women’s amateur tournament in Hawaii (2001)
The youngest winner (male or female) of an adult USGA-sanctioned tournament – Age 13 (2003 Women's U.S. Amateur Public Links)
The youngest player to make a cut in an LPGA tournament and major – Age 13 (2003 Nabisco Championship)
The youngest player to play in a PGA Tour event – Age 14 (2004 Sony Open)
The lowest round by a female in a PGA Tour event (also the first female to score a sub-70 round in PGA Tour history) – 68 (2004 & 2006 Sony Open)
"In 2002, Wie won the Hawaii State Open Women's Division by thirteen shots over LPGA player Cindy Rarick. In 2002 she also became, at age 12, the youngest player to qualify for an LPGA event, the Takefuji Classic where she missed the cut."
"Also at age 11, she shot a personal-best 64 from the 5,400-yard tees at the Olomana Golf Links course in Hawaii."
Damn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Wie
Yes, she has enjoyed some amazing privilege during her career, among them being her attention grabbing age and looks, as well as the advantage that came with $56,000 per year private lessons and her height. (Her 6'2" father is also a two handicapper.) After gaining national and international attention, she attracted sponsors like Sony of Japan, and Nike, who signed her to multimillion dollar contracts while still a 15 year old high school student. Her family did not need to worry as much about how to afford lessons, a professional caddy, or travel to competition.
With that kind of support and life, I can see how even fellow women or LPGA tour members can be upset at Wie's apparently not being deserving of all the attention (or money), particularly in light of performance these past couple years. Yes, the LPGA could certainly use the attention or money that Wie attracts to the sport (as Danica Patrick does for racing). Or they can be dismissed as being jealous, not having set the records Wie has, or her being better than about half of male PGA golfers who also fail to make the cut in major tournaments. If Michelle Wie is unable to recover from her history of wrist injuries, or overcome some issues with her game and staff, she may turn out to be a sort of Anna Kournikova for golf, as one article called her. That would be extremely unfortunate.
It's a real shame that she is not allowed to live a life free from public scrutiny, gossip, and criticism, or without the alleged behavior of her entourage and support staff. Her public comments say she wishes to do what is fun or makes her happy. I hope she is allowed to do it.
It is her choice to participate and if she qualifies than why not? If the players who are better than her want to give the men's league a try, I am sure they would qualify as well. I personally understand that seperate sports leagues have helped to advance women into places that used to be male only. However, I long for the day when gender in sports is no longer an issue... when all people play together, and women, trans men and every one else has an equal shot at winning!
It is her choice to participate and if she qualifies than why not? If the players who are better than her want to give the men's league a try, I am sure they would qualify as well. I personally understand that seperate sports leagues have helped to advance women into places that used to be male only. However, I long for the day when gender in sports is no longer an issue... when all people play together, and women, trans men and every one else has an equal shot at winning!
"If the players who are better than her want to give the men's league a try, I am sure they would qualify as well."
Golf is not that simple, particularly when the dollars are involved. Michelle Wie often plays in men's events on exemptions, i.e., her play did not qualify her, despite being at one time the number two LPGA player, or being as good as the average male pro. Other women simply do not have the same opportunities as Michelle Wie, because they are not as photogenic or attention grabbing, and will not do as much to promote MEN'S golf, simply by being present and providing photo opportunities.