Michelle Wie gets the Top Billing--is this fair?

[PEZGolf]

There is a special 4 page section on the LPGA Tour in the sports section of "USA Today" on this date, the first tournament of the new season--the SBS at Turtle Bay. Her photo dwarfs that of Lorena Ochoa, the #1 player on Tour, while Michelle is a rookie member. In fact, Michelle was not the medalist at Q School. Stacey Lewis has that distinction.

Is this fair coverage? We must bear in mind that sports is about publicity and exposure. Michelle is definitely a player with great potential and unlimited marketability, so naturally the spotlight is put on her. The question is: will her performance live up to the preseason hype? We have all seen her well-documented shortcomings, so the "jury is still out".

Personally, I think the play of Lorena, all the South Koreans, the desire of Paula to win her first Major, the question of whether Katherine Hull can continue her stellar play that she demostrated at the end of last season, how will the Old Guard, like Helen Alfredsson and Juli Inkster do since they played very well last year, can Natalie win again with Butch Harmon's help, can Vicky Hurst carry over her play from the Duramed Futures Tour, etc. are all key stories.

Last year, there were four different winners of the Majors--Lorena, Yani Tseng, Inbee Park, and Jiyai Shin. Even though Lorena is the #1 Player, and Annika is retired from active play, this shows there is real competition on the Tour.

[colin007]

all i care about is anna rawson.

and as for michelle, i am predicting a regular season win and a top 5 in one of the majors.

[Ogg]

I don't see the marketability of Michelle Wie. She is young and certainly has pulled her share of stupid moves and comments in the near past. At best, she is a press darling and that is about it. But it is a mistake the press is not willing to admit.

I think Paula Creamer could and should be the face of the LPGA. She is fiery, has a great smile and has a ton of energy. I think if Ochoa smiled alittle more she would be right there too.

[David in FL]

If you're looking for any kind of journalistic excellence, you'll have to look somewhere other than the McPaper.

USA Today provides mindless drivel for those that don't want to be bothered with having to think for themselves.



I'm sorry, did I say that out loud.......?

[iacas]

Pez, this kind of stuff is getting old.

Is this fair coverage?

It's not about "fairness," it's about attention and marketing. Stop playing dumb.

Furthermore, the tournament's in her home state.

[PEZGolf]

Pez, this kind of stuff is getting old.

You are right, the SBS is in Hawaii, and I wish her the best! She has the talent, and is now doing "the right thing"---trying to beat the gals, and NOT the guys!!

[PEZGolf]

I don't see the marketability of Michelle Wie. She is young and certainly has pulled her share of stupid moves and comments in the near past. At best, she is a press darling and that is about it. But it is a mistake the press is not willing to admit.

Paula has it all! Great golf game, with 4 career wins. She is friendly, fiesty, a great competitor and is "fan friendly", as I have personally observed at the practice rounds at the Newport County Club for the Women's Open a couple of years ago, and the Wegman's in Rochester, NY, at Locust Hill!! All she lacks, and she is very aware of it, is a win in a Major!

[PEZGolf]

By the way, the first round of the SBS at Turtle Bay is on The Golf Channel tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

[GaijinGolfer]

Now that Wie has earned her way onto the tour by making it through Q school, Id say she is deserving of the attention.
Wie is no more or less deserving of media attention than Creamer or Gulbis (young, talented, beautifull players who show a lot of potential but are yet to win a major).

[JonnyGolf]

6 under today for a tie for 2nd. Good for her. I hope she makes good decisions and helps the LPGA get the recognition it deserves.

[PEZGolf]

There are always interesting stories going on, besides Angela leading and Michelle playing great. Here are 4 golfers I will be tracking: Taylor Leon and Juli Inkster are at 3 under; Laura Diaz and Vicky Hurst are at 2 under. When my son and I went to the practice rounds for the Women's Open in 2006 at the Newport Country Club, we followed Taylor for a while. She was at the University of Georgia at the time. She is another one of the good looking gals on the Tour. She turned pro in 2007, and has been "working her way up". In that first year, she competed on the Duramed Futures Tour and won twice in 8 tournaments. Last year, on the Big Tour, she had a so-so year---made 8 cuts in 16 events and won only $85,557. We wish her the best and will be following her career. I hope she plays in either Rochester at the Wegnman's or the Corning, NY, tournament, or both!

[iacas]

Now that Wie has earned her way onto the tour by making it through Q school, Id say she is deserving of the attention.

Wie is a LOT more deserving of attention than Natalie Gulbis, who at this point must consider her one victory a freak accident.

And though I'll agree on Paula, at the same time, have either of them finished higher in their careers than Michelle Wie has in the majors? And IIRC, she had her top finishes in the four majors in a one-year stretch, to boot. Just food for thought. I'm a Michelle Wie "fan" simply because I want to see talent reveal itself.

[Dub]

Re: Michelle Wie gets the Top Billing--is this fair?


Yup....I suspect so. All's fair in love and war. The LPGA is in a financial "war" at present. Michelle is a big draw. The tour needs her badly. I hope that she'll perform to the best of her ability and behave accordingly.

I'd love to see her take on Phil on a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf event....right now!!!! My money would be on her at this point in time.

[PEZGolf]

Re: Michelle Wie gets the Top Billing--is this fair?

That would be a great match. Both of them are capable of making many birdies so it would be exciting. It makes more sense for Michelle to compete in an exhibition like that against a guy than to talk about playing as a regular on the PGA Tour or earning an invitation to the Masters. She appears to have matured so I do not think that we will hear her make statements like that any more. Are any new matches in "Shell's Wonderful World of Golf" scheduled? Unlike other companies, the oil companies continue to make HUGE profits, so Shell has the dough to put on the show!

[Elvisliveson]

Wie is a LOT more deserving of attention than Natalie Gulbis, who at this point must consider her one victory a freak accident.

You have a bias against Gulbis. The fact is, since Creamer turned Pro in 2005, Gulbis has 3 times as many top 5s in majors than Paula does.

[cocky_watchman]

No way should woman be allowed to play in men's events full stop. Well, not unless men are allowed to play in woman's events too-then men would just win everything! So just keep woman on woman's tour and men on men's tour. It's just purely for publicity when the woman have a crack on men's tour anyway-and they never manage much.

[Dub]

That would be a great match. Both of them are capable of making many birdies so it would be exciting. It makes more sense for Michelle to compete in an exhibition like that against a guy than to talk about playing as a regular on the PGA Tour or earning an invitation to the Masters. She appears to have matured so I do not think that we will hear her make statements like that any more.

Exactly what I was thinking about the oil companies. They can "Shell" out the dough to sponsor some great events......not that I'm holding my breath and waiting.

[iacas]

You have a bias against Gulbis. The fact is, since Creamer turned Pro in 2005, Gulbis has 3 times as many top 5s in majors than Paula does.

I'm not biased against Gulbis, and I wasn't comparing her to Paula.

I was comparing Gulbis' record in the majors to Michelle's, and I don't think it measures up. Close, but not quite there. If I were to rank the three, I'd put Paula in first, Michelle in second (despite being winless), and Natalie third.