Samsung World Championship

**Will** · October 6, 2007

The big news isn't that Sorenstam withdrew, though that was newsworthy. Rather, it was the player who Michelle Wie bumped from the competition. By accepting a sponsor's exemption, Miss Wie took the place of a golfer who deserved a place in the championship. This golfer not only has won an LPGA tournament this year, she has worked tirelessly in support of the tour, played on the winning US Solheim Cup team, and is quite a bit cuter than Wie. Yep, hottie Gnat Gulbis won't be playing this year, so that Miss Wie can card another 85/86.

Just another chapter in the Wie saga, one sure to further endear herself to the LPGA players.

**Shindig** · October 6, 2007

The big news isn't that Sorenstam withdrew, though that was newsworthy. Rather, it was the player who Michelle Wie bumped from the competition. By accepting a sponsor's exemption, Miss Wie took the place of a golfer who deserved a place in the championship. This golfer not only has won an LPGA tournament this year, she has worked tirelessly in support of the tour, played on the winning US Solheim Cup team, and is quite a bit cuter than Wie. Yep, hottie Gnat Gulbis won't be playing this year, so that Miss Wie can card another 85/86.

Just curious: Did Gulbis have a spot, and then a sponsor invited Wie, and had to tell Gulbis to take a hike? Or was the sponsor deciding between Gulbis and Wie?

If it's the first case, why are sponsor's exemptions kicking people from the field? If it's the second case, then Gulbis didn't deserve a spot; Wie did. That's the point of sponsor's invites: the sponsor gets to decide who deserves the spot.

**alf174** · October 6, 2007

Just curious: Did Gulbis have a spot, and then a sponsor invited Wie, and had to tell Gulbis to take a hike? Or was the sponsor deciding between Gulbis and Wie?

I believe neither. In order for Gulbis to play, Wie would have had to back out of the invite. Gulbis floated up to the bubble when Sorenstam backed out.

**Frank-0-Sport** · October 8, 2007

Greetings ...

Wie's special invitation was in place well before Gulbis won the Evian Masters.

If limited-field events have to exist in actual fact, then have fields of at least 30 to 40 players.

In many of my "alternate realities", limited field events exist as official events ONLY IF at least 50 players start the event.

So there!

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

**golfchief** · October 11, 2007

Samsung has the big money and the LPGA need it. Samsung have been putting Wie in tournaments since 2004. They did give her the exemption early in the year but could have took it back after her (injury) and gave it to another. After Sorenstam did not make the championship this year ( injury and surgery) they made up another special exemption for active hall of fame players, which Annika turn down so they gave it to Sara Lee?, not a Julie Inkster or Karrie Webb.

**geezer** · October 11, 2007

Watching the live scoring and i am glad to say that Michelle Wie is (so far) proving all her (too harsh) critics wrong being -1 through 3. Go Angela Park!

Live, automatically updated scoring:
http://www.lpgascoring.com/9394/lead...aderboard.html

**golfchief** · October 11, 2007

You should learn not to praise Wie to soon. After ten holes she is +5. oops after 11 she is +6.

***iacas*** · October 11, 2007

You should learn not to praise Wie to soon. After ten holes she is +5. oops after 11 she is +6.

Correct you are. She's in last place by three shots at the end of the day. Two birdies, seven birdies, and one double.

**alf174** · October 12, 2007

Yeah, but Paula still has got that tan line going

**GoingfortheGreen** · October 12, 2007

Just curious: Did Gulbis have a spot, and then a sponsor invited Wie, and had to tell Gulbis to take a hike? Or was the sponsor deciding between Gulbis and Wie?

Sirak @ ESPN.com wrote a great article on the invites, as well as how 'undeserving' Wie is..

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/colum...t&lid;=tab6pos1

**gbk56** · October 12, 2007

The big news isn't that Sorenstam withdrew, though that was newsworthy. Rather, it was the player who Michelle Wie bumped from the competition. By accepting a sponsor's exemption, Miss Wie took the place of a golfer who deserved a place in the championship. This golfer not only has won an LPGA tournament this year, she has worked tirelessly in support of the tour, played on the winning US Solheim Cup team, and is quite a bit cuter than Wie. Yep, hottie Gnat Gulbis won't be playing this year, so that Miss Wie can card another 85/86.

This statement is just wrong. The criteria as I understand it is below:

1. The 2006 LPGA money leader (Lorena Ochoa) 2. The 2006 Vare Trophy winner for low scoring average (again Ochoa) 3. This year's four major champions 4. The next 14 on the LPGA money list at the conclusion of the Navistar Classic on September 30 5. The leading money winner on the Ladies European Tour 6. One sponsor's exemption The sponsors expemtion has nothing to do with Gulbis. If Wie withdrew I am sure they would have given the exemption to Anika or someone else. The only reason Anika did not accept her exemption is becuase she actually did not qualify for the tournament and would have taken Angela Parks spot by accepting the last second made up expemtion to get her into the tournament. I guess Wie could have given up her exemption, but I do not think the tournament could take away the exemption that they already offered to her. In any event Gulbis did not get an exemtion or qualify for the tournament, neither of which Wie's exemption had anything to do with.

**golfchief** · October 12, 2007

Annika would not have bumped anyone out, they gave the spot to Sara Lee and Angela Parks is still in and playing well.

**Lemay427** · October 12, 2007

lol. michelle wie breaks 80. nice.

**hurley9192** · October 12, 2007

Wie should have turned down the exemption (like Annika did) and let another player play that earned it. It's not like she needs to play to get the money (thank you Nike for paying her $10M) like most sponsor's exemptions do.

***iacas*** · October 12, 2007

Annika would not have bumped anyone out, they gave the spot to Sara Lee and Angela Parks is still in and playing well.

I believe Annika would have bumped Sara Lee out, yes, because they keep the field to 20.

Furthermore, if Annika was offered an exemption because she's an active Hall-of-Famer, what about Julie Inkster and Karrie Webb? They meet that criteria - why weren't they given spots too? Wie was offered her exemption in March. Though I personally think she should have said "no thanks" recently (or even a few months ago when she was still playing like crap), Samsung couldn't take it away from her, really.

**golfchief** · October 13, 2007

I believe Annika would have bumped Sara Lee out, yes, because they keep the field to 20.

Sara Lee got the spot when Annika said NO, Sara was not in the field before they made up a special exemption for Anika.

Yes Julie or karrie shoud have been offered the spot before Sara, Maybe they both would have said no and the sponsors knew that.

**golfchief** · October 13, 2007

I see Wie has continued her level of play for round two.

Why is her dad on the bag?

As long as her dad takes an active role in her play she will fail, he's no caddie.

***iacas*** · October 13, 2007

Sara Lee got the spot when Annika said NO, Sara was not in the field before they made up a special exemption for Anika.

Sarah Lee was by definition because they take 20 players and they haven't offered an exemption to the reigning U.S. Women's Am champ (the spot Annika was basically offered) for a looooong time. So it was always going to be Sarah Lee's spot.

Yes Julie or karrie shoud have been offered the spot before Sara, Maybe they both would have said no and the sponsors knew that.

That's really not how it went down, though. It had nothing to do with "the sponsors knew that." Julie Inkster is on record as being upset about it.

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