Hello golf fanatics and welcome again to another round of Hittin’ the Links. Maybe it’s me but golf this weekend seemed a tad bland. I didn’t even watch any of the final rounds. Perhaps I am just gearing up for the U.S Open next month.
Anyway, there was still a lot going on around the world of golf. We first say goodbye to longtime on course commentator Bob Rosburg, then see what ridiculous thing came out of Michelle Wie’s mouth this time, and check out the player turned caddy, turned player, turned caddy again. Also, we investigate some Asian Tour problems, see what Ian Baker-Finch is up to, and do a wrap-up of this week’s tour winners. Read on!
Hole 1: Bob Rosburg
Bob Rosburg or “Rossie” as he was often called during his years of on course commentating has passed away at the age of 82. [Link]
Hole 2: I Hoped She Had Learned
Still winless Michelle Wie has again voiced her desire to compete with the men. I guess getting beat by men is better than getting beat by women? [Link]
Hole 3: Where’s Your Caddie?
Lance Ten Broeck did a little double duty this week in Texas. Play a round in the morning, caddy in the afternoon. [Link]
Hole 4: Asian Tour Problems
The Asian Tour has had to cancel their season ending event in Thailand due to sponsorship problems. [Link]
Hole 5: Ian Baker-Finch to Tee It Up at Colonial
Approaching the age of 50, golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch has decided to evaluate his game on the PGA Tour. [Link]
Hole 6: LPGA Sybase Classic
20 year-old Ji Young Oh continues the South Korean winning ways with a victory in New Jersey. [Link]
Hole 7: Another Amateur Win
Amateur Shane Lowry wins the Irish Open in a three-hole playoff. [Link]
Hole 8: Not a Bad Payday for Two Rounds of Golf
Keith Fergus wins the rain shortened Regions Charity Classic in Alabama. [Link]
Hole 9: Johnson Repeats in Texas
It took a little overtime, but Zach Johnson successfully defended his Valero Texas Open title. [Link]
You don’t start at the top.
When Wie shows she is competitive with men at other tournaments, then she can play the Masters.
Which brings up an obvious question. Since the US Open is open to anyone, why doesn’t she qualify for the the way the men do and show she can play with the men that way?
She has in the past. She nearly qualified, too.
“…then see what ridiculous thing came out of Michelle Wie’s mouth this time…”
Not sure if the pgatour.com link to Wie’s comments above left anything out, but she seemed pretty sincere in conveying her goal to play in the masters. What’s wrong with that?
The comment by ‘Will’ on the Amateur Shane Lowry article. How unlucky is it that he gets none of that great prize fund! When Robert Rock went into the playoff knowing he had just won 500,000 euros because 2nd gets 1st prize if amateurs win!
He wouldn’t even get a pair of shoes from the pro shop, and he would probably get cut as well.
There are things that one should perhaps keep with themselves. This would be one of those things. Wie truly is her own worst enemy.
I don’t think I am in the minority when I say I grow quite tired of Michelle Wie and her constant longing to play with the men. I had hoped by now she had finally figured out she cannot compete with them, or had at least decided to put those thoughts on hold until she had built up a respectful resume against the women. In her previous bids against the men, she was little more than a side show freak, a sponsor’s ploy to draw crowds to watch her fall flat on her face. And fall flat she did, over, and over again.
I had no problem when Annika teed it up with the men, she had earned every right to. I feel the same about Ochoa if she ever decides to do the same. Seems funny though, the two most dominate women in the game over the last 10 years, and neither of them felt the need to play against the men. Yet this 19 year old with zero professional wins feels she has the game to be out there? Please.
Basically, I think it’s absurd that she cannot just keep her mouth shut and play golf. Maybe if she worked at her game and won some ladies tournaments then the opportunity might arise to play with the men again, and this time she would be entitled to it. Until then she just sounds ridiculous.
She was asked a question. Would you prefer she lie instead? Give a standard “I want to do my best and continue to have fun” answer? What’s wrong with big goals? She’s still 19 and she’s put together a pretty good year so far. What’s the problem with saying that she wants to play with the guys in a decade or so?
Exactly – down the road. She didn’t say she wants to play against the men this year or even next year.
You have a daughter or two, don’t you Danny? Are you going to tell me that you don’t want them to dream big? It’s not like Michelle’s best years are behind her. She’s young, has had a good year so far, and will still likely become a force on the LPGA Tour in the next several years. Basically, it’s too early for me to take her dreams away from her or criticize her for having them.
Maybe not lie, but someone in her camp should be telling her to keep that to herself. I mean again she says that and whats the headline. “Winless Wie Still Wants to Compete With Men.” She is kind of a joke. Basically, its best to let someone think your dumb, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
A quote like, “Let me win and take care of some business on my own tour then I will look at the possibilty of playing again on the PGA Tour.
Of course I would like them to dream big but at the same time I would try my best to protect them from a media that is just looking for that next quote to jump on.
I don’t fault her for her ambition, I fault her for constant talking out of turn. She needs to let her golf do the talking for a while and give her mouth a rest. If that means giving those boring answers then so be it. I mean things are looking up for her, she is finally getting her act together. I believe staying out of the spotlight for things like wanting to play with the men is in her best interest. I can just imagine that kind of talk cannot possibly make her popular with her fellow tour players.
In your opinion. I don’t find having big dreams and answering a question honestly to be a “joke” at all. Not at 19.
Be honest though: at this point, her parents letting her do anything for herself is a step in the right direction for them. 🙂
It’s one thing if she called a press conference to talk about it or something. She was asked the question. Perhaps she needs to better recognize when the media’s trying to get her to say something “quotable,” but again, I’m not gonna fault her for having the dreams she’s got, and having those dreams, I’m not going to fault her for being honest about them. It wasn’t petulant or condescending – it was honest and, for now, yes, far-reaching.
Then we’ll have to disagree. I don’t care for “those boring answers.”
It’s your imagination. 🙂 If the LPGA Tour players were smart, they’d want Michelle Wie to become a huge success on the LPGA Tour and to spread her fame as far as possible – whatever that means.
I’m gonna have to agree with Erik on this one. If you’re easily swayed by headlines instead of the actual content then there’s a head anchor position available to you on Fox News. 😛
I don’t fault Michelle for being inexperienced or wanting to play in the Masters or having other lofty ambitions. I understand what it’s like to have a daughter who can, and wants to, compete with men (been there, done that). Generally speaking they should have that opportunity.
But if she’s going to play in the grown-up pool so she can get the same benefits as her seniors (publicity, endorsements, prize money, status, etc.), she has to learn to play by the rules of that pool, including the PR rules. That means learning to handle yourself like an adult when you get asked tough questions, and if necessary having the right advisors to help her. To me, too often she still comes across as a self-absorbed teenager rather than someone who understands she is appearing to ask for a privilege that must be earned by everyone, without having come close to earning it (or looking like she might be about to earn it) herself. If she can grow and overcome it, great. At least, as mentioned, it looks like she is getting out from the shadow of faulty advice from domineering parents.
I have one other personal gripe from this thread. I think it is inappropriate for any of us to respond to a poster by saying their statement is just “their opinion.” Virtually every post here is the opinion of the poster; otherwise we would preface every sentence “IMO”. Below this text box is the advisory to “Please respect others when commenting.” A worthy policy, I think.