Garcia just can't shut up

[Rafcin]

Come on guys - didn't you see the wink emoticon..?? Was put out there as a joke.

I don't do

when I'm mad, neither I'm using the "p" word it's all good fun.

[Rafcin]

And again... she's played all she's allowed on the LPGA tour this year.

Hey Ragontona, by the way - if there was ANY chance for me not to go to hell after I'm done here - you blew it with your avatar

[ragontona]

Hey Ragontona, by the way - if there was ANY chance for me not to go to hell after I'm done here - you blew it with your avatar

Blame Erik.

[iacas]

Blame Erik.

Rafi thinks it's Michelle Wie. I had to correct him on my chat client. Rafi, it's Paula Creamer. Search for "Magic Potion" (or something like that).

[Wood]

CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland (Reuters) - The day before Michelle Wie makes her European Tour debut, Sergio Garcia raised doubts on Wednesday about the 16-year-old prodigy's chances of ever winning a men's event.

He said it was unlikely any woman would win on the men's circuit.

TRUE

"Never say never," Garcia said at a news conference before beginning the defense of his European Masters title. But I think there is a big chance it may not happen."

TRUE

"The way I see it, the normal courses we play, when they (women) play, it is like a U.S. Open course..."On a U.S. Open course you play really well and shoot five-under. You don't shoot 14, 18-under, 20-under."For a woman to shoot that kind of score, unless something unbelievable comes around, on our courses, where even our short courses are long for them, it is pretty difficult."

TRUE

Wie's chances at the high Crans-sur-Sierre course were hampered by the way she hit the ball. Garcia, who practiced with the American teenager on Tuesday, said."I feel her ball flight, with the altitude, coming into the greens, might be too low. "If she had a higher ball flight she would be hitting 15 or 20 yards longer. The important thing here is to get the ball in the air so it stays in the air as much as possible," Garcia said. "I think she might struggle unless it rains."

TRUE

Garcia believes Wie's participation is good for the men's game, however. "I think anything that helps the game is good for golf, anything, no matter what.

TRUE

The Spaniard said he was not looking upon Wie, who has yet to win a women's event, let alone a men's, as a "novelty" entry this week.

"I don't see them as a female player, I see them as golfers."

TRUE

I'm struggling to see ANYTHING wrong with his comments, except he was maybe being overly politically correct. I don't see anything wrong with the tournament getting extra publicity (for 2 days anyway ). I don't see see anything wrong with Sergio speaking his mind when asked. It would be a bigger story if every time someone asked a top golfer about Wie playing in the PGA events they said "No comment" and walked off. Then it would be a snub. I do secretly hope that Wie somehow is closer to the cut than Sergio- that would be frickin' hilarious.

[Rafcin]

Rafi thinks it's Michelle Wie. I had to correct him on my chat client. Rafi, it's Paula Creamer. Search for "Magic Potion" (or something like that).

oh thanks, that makes me feel beter, at least she's 21... that still makes me twice her age

[ragontona]

oh thanks, that makes me feel beter, at least she's 21... that still makes me twice her age

Don't worry Raf... the next avatar will send you to hell for sure. Wait and see.

[SubPar]

Anything that improves tournament TV ratings is good for the game, so Wie is good for the game.

Sergio is probably right about Wie not ever winning a men's event. Sorenstam probably could not make a top ten on the PGA tour and look how dominant she has been on the LPGA tour. Wie, or any woman, winning a men's event would be a long shot for several reasons, not the least of which would be the frequency of play in men's events. Male players like Charles Howell could probably drum Wie day in and day out, and look how seldom he is even in contention, playing many PGA events each year.

To win a PGA event a woman would have to be at the top of her game, four days in a row, against a weak field on a shortish track, and Mars and Venus would have to collide in the sky during the pro-am.

[Rafcin]

...Sergio is probably right about Wie not ever winning a men's event...

no doubt, but it's not the point. There is a lot of examples for "probably true" statements made by celebrities where they should rather shut up and don't say it. There is the issue of political correctness, which I don't support - but there is a bigger issue of having a little bit of class and be sensitive to a issue instead of just yapping away in a front of media

[SubPar]

no doubt, but it's not the point. There is a lot of examples for "probably true" statements made by celebrities where they should rather shut up and don't say it. There is the issue of political correctness, which I don't support - but there is a bigger issue of having a little bit of class and be sensitive to a issue instead of just yapping away in a front of media

Sergio is not the sharpest tack in the box, but I think he was spot on in his comments and not out of line in any way. His comments, as quoted, are not personally insulting to Wie, or any woman player, and are technically correct.

His observation about her shot trajectory is insightful and will be helpful to her if she listens carefully. One of the strengths men have over women is that they can hit their irons very high and very far at the same time, which provides much more control when coming into greens.

[iacas]

Sergio is probably right about Wie not ever winning a men's event.

I was tempted to side with this, but then something occurred to me: Corey Pavin of all people won on the PGA Tour this year.

I will no longer say it's not possible. If Corey Pavin can win on the PGA Tour (his final round wasn't exactly blistering... he shot, what, -3 including a 6-iron eagle?), I think some day Michelle Wie or some other woman could. She has 10-20 yards on him off the tee.

[ragontona]

Blame Erik.

Rafi thinks it's Michelle Wie. I had to correct him on my chat client. Rafi, it's Paula Creamer. Search for "Magic Potion" (or something like that).

oh thanks, that makes me feel beter, at least she's 21... that still makes me twice her age

Don't worry Raf... the next avatar will send you to hell for sure. Wait and see.

New avatar just for Rafi. Sinner.

[cmarkmyers]

no doubt, but it's not the point. There is a lot of examples for "probably true" statements made by celebrities where they should rather shut up and don't say it. There is the issue of political correctness, which I don't support - but there is a bigger issue of having a little bit of class and be sensitive to a issue instead of just yapping away in a front of media

Sorry, but what is the issue he is supposed to be sensitive about? From what I can tell he was asked a question and he answered the question. I am in agreement with the majority here, Sergio did nothing wrong.

[Rafcin]

...Sergio did nothing wrong.

In that case Johnny Miller didn't either :

[FONT=Arial] "This is probably on paper the worst Ryder Cup team we've ever fielded," Miller said during the press conference for the Kraft/Nabisco Shoot-Out at Hillcrest Country Club. What Miller said is probably true (as Garcia's statement). The whole issue is - WHY would you say that? Does he expect Lehman to change the lineup? Does he expect people (rookies that he attacked in his interview) to raise their hands and pull out of the team so people that Miller likes could get in? Give me break. This is (and so was Garcia's) absolutelly useless and meaningless interview with only one purpose : attention gathering with not much other to offer. What could he done instead? He could've said "European team is really strong, it will be tough to beat them". Enough. It's not about political correctness, it's about saying something that's constructive (or neutral) vs. something that's a useless fart.

[cmarkmyers]

I don't know the context under which Miller made those comments. If someone said to him, "Johnny, what do you think of the US team's chances?", then it is the same. He was asked a question which he answered honestly as did Sergio. So, if that was the case then why wouldn't he say it? Someone asks me a question I usually answer it honestly (exceptions being "does this make me look fat?"... "how did you like the meal I cooked?"... etc.).

Now if he was just sitting there on camera and out of the blue he makes those comments then the circumstances are different. But even then he is simply doing what he is paid to do: Comment on golf. So still I see nothing wrong.

Back to Sergio, what did you expect him to say when someone asked him if Wie would win on tour? Bottom line is you need to do a lot more to convince me that Sergio was out of line.

[Rafcin]

...Bottom line is you need to do a lot more to convince me that Sergio was out of line.

no I don't, since I don't care if anybody is convinced

I expressed my opinion and (almost) nobody agrees - that's fine with me, it's a free country after all, everybody can think and express whatever they want. I think I made enough arguments and if you still don't see it - you won't see it no matter what I say. Let's just agree to disagree and close down the thread as complete waste of time

[Rafcin]

New avatar just for Rafi. Sinner.

I like the other one better, this one only makes me imagine tackling her and tumbling into that bush.... that GREEN bush you see behind her - get your mind out of the gutter

[BigAl5150]

This is off topic (ok, its about Garcia) but the latest Golf Digest has an ad for Omega watches (the caption is "All the Best Fairy Tales End with a Kiss") and it shows Garcia kissing his putter. I just couldn't help from laughing when I saw it. I thought more appropriately would be for him to be breaking it over his knee or tossing it into a pond.