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

[PEZGolf]

I think the rest of us are smart enough not to feed the trolls, actually, PEZ.

You are right. There are times that I need to "bite my tongue" and simply ignore a particular thread or post. I am trying, but I do slip up on occasion. Most of the people who use this golf forum make very intelligent threads and posts and I will limit myself to replying to them.

[Chas]

Julie Inkster strikes me as a really tough, hard grafting type of pro who knows how to endure and win. She alone puts the lie to the "daddy's girl" notion.

One gets the impression that Wie has learned her lesson to some extent, and that she knows she's only ever going to make it by working hard, ignoring the nay-sayers and patiently awaiting her moment in the sun. I suspect she'll have many such moments after she breaks through, assuming she stays the course long enough. Not so different from many talented young male golfers in that respect, or young tennis players of either sex for that matter. It's the way of the - sporting - world. OK so Tiger took a different route to stardom - what else is new?

[PEZGolf]

Julie Inkster strikes me as a really tough, hard grafting type of pro who knows how to endure and win. She alone puts the lie to the "daddy's girl" notion.

Your example of Juli Inkster is very appropriate. I have always said that if you give me a choice between an athlete with tremendous natural talent and a limited work ethic and another with some talent and a tremendous work ethic, the latter will BEAT the former time after time. Between Tom Weiskopf and Lee Trevino, give me the Merry Mex. Between Ben Hogan and Lloyd Mangrum, give me Bantam Ben, the Wee Ice Mon. Between Bobby Jones, and Walter Hagen, give me THE HAIG ----from the movie "Bobby Jones--A Stroke of Genius": Hagen to Jones: "Do you know why I play golf? To make money to pay my bills. I beat you today, and we will meet again, and I will win again. You know why? Because I HAVE to win, to pay my bills!" Between Michelle Wie and Angela Stanford, give me the TCU grad: "With her victory at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, Angela Stanford earned 60 points toward a spot on the 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup team. Stanford, who was ranked third in U.S. Solheim Cup points entering the week behind Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr, is now second behind Creamer." In her rookie year, 2001, Angela made only 12 cuts in 26 tournaments and earned $66,000+. Look where she is today. What is the old phrase from Virginia Slims? "You've come a long way, baby." And that was done with hard work and a desire to make it. By the season's end, it is my prediction that Angela will have more wins and a higher ranking than Michelle. And she will have that status for one reason---because she wants it more.