If I wanted to watch the LPGA tour...

[DBake]

I would watch the LPGA tour, Michelle Wie all over the tv today at the 84 Lumber. Get off the PGA tour because your never going to win their and you will never be apart of the Ryder Cup as well, go finish high school, go to college, than join the LPGA tour.

[ragontona]

I would watch the LPGA tour, Michelle Wie all over the tv today at the 84 Lumber. Get off the PGA tour because your never going to win their and you will never be apart of the Ryder Cup as well, go finish high school, go to college, than join the LPGA tour.

I hadn't thought of it that way. You know something? Your original ideas and comments have cast the whole Michelle Wie thing in a whole new light for me. It's cool because this topic hasn't been covered ad naseum yet in dozens of other threads, and it's refreshing to hear new arguments.

It's really too bad that Michelle Wie insisted on forcing her way into this tournament, uninvited by Joe Hardy, the owner of 84 Lumber. Because it's really ruining the grand tradition of the 84 Lumber Classic, with its long, storied history and huge televsion ratings and attendance every year. It's very similar to the Omega Masters on the European Tour. Watching that is an annual tradition for me. All she did was distract me from watching great European household names like... the guy who won. The legendary Bradley Dredge. From Wales. Good thing I didn't have to google that, because I paid such close attention to that tournament after Ms. Party Crasher missed the cut. I hope others continue to post revalations like this. I never tire of reading them.

[elivate]

Sort of of topic, but I did not want to start a new Michelle Wie thread, I am just looking for a few answers...

So, the LPGA wll not let her play more than 7 events, correct?

She is not allowed to join the LPGA because they have a minimum age, correct?

She gets sponsors exemptions to play in the PGA events, correct?

Then why does she not get sponsors exemptions to LPGA events?

Obviously she stands to make more money at the PGA events if she makes the cut, but if she was invited to LPGA events she would do much better and make more money. I know it is not about the money with her, she has lots, but I guess I am just wondering why the LPGA is screwing up so big with her? Is she not getting offered exemptions for LPGA events or is she just choosing the PGA events instead?

[Madriver]

...so I hope J.D gets paired up with her today. The PGA and 84 Lumber would really hate that. John Daly and Michele Wie playing together.....I may be the only one interested in that pair huh....on a lighter note...I did catch a couple of her duck hook drives and felt much better about myself.....

[ragontona]

Then why does she not get sponsors exemptions to LPGA events?

The LPGA tournaments she's played this year were all on exemptions, I believe. The tournaments you see her playing in, she's been invited attend. As a non-LPGA member, that's the only way she'd be allowed to enter. Pretty much all of the tournaments invite her -- she can only accept six on the LPGA tour. The British and US Opens don't count toward that total.

...so I hope J.D gets paired up with her today. The PGA and 84 Lumber would really hate that. John Daly and Michele Wie playing together.....I may be the only one interested in that pair huh....on a lighter note...I did catch a couple of her duck hook drives and felt much better about myself.....

Unfortunately, the first two days, the pairings stay the same. It's not until Saturday (after the cut) that they reorganize the groups.

[Thrash13]

Ragontona, I disagree with your comments about the TV coverage (and yes, I caught all the sarcasm).

Ryan Moore finished at -4 after having a great front nine (his back nine for the day). How many shots did we see from Moore? Zero. He, not Michelle Wie, is one of the key parts to the future of the PGA Tour. What about Scott Verplank? He is a Ryder Cup team member, and he finished at -2 after being at -3 for most of the round. How many shots did we see from him?

There were plenty of notables to show other than every shot from Michelle Wie. She stunk it up with another round well over par, yet we missed solid rounds from some of my favorites. I know a lot of people could care less about Ryan Moore, but that's their problem. I'd rather see someone shooting a 68 instead of a 77.

I never said I was in favor of Michelle Wie playing in PGA Tour events, and quite frankly, it's getting embarassing. I actually think she is getting worse each time out. Anyway, I've gotten over it, and I can accept it now when she does tee it up with the men. However, it would still be nice to see some others doing well instead of Michelle Wie missing another putt for par (and a couple birdies).

Ragontona, you may not have others you would prefer to watch, but some of us do. And some of those golfers are going to be a hell of a lot more important to the PGA Tour than Michelle Wie ever will be.

[ragontona]

Ragontona, I disagree with your comments about the TV coverage (and yes, I caught all the sarcasm).

Cody,

I pretty much agree with all of your points. The young guns on the PGA tour are sadly underexposed, and I believe that the PGA is doing a piss-poor job of marketing these guys. I'd like to see more of them as well. But, to use the most overused cliche of the past couple of years, it is what it is . Michelle Wie is in the tournament, and the casual sports fan wants to see how she is doing. Just take solace in knowing that although it seems like she's there every week, she's really only playing in a handful of tournaments. Also, as she continues to miss cut after cut, the invitations will come in less and less frequently. This is short-attention-span America, after all... when the general public grows tired of the chase, interest will wane, and this'll be a non-issue.

[Thrash13]

Yeah, you are right. The average fan would rather watch Michelle Wie than Ryan Moore or Scott Verplank, but that's why us die-hard fans speak our minds on message boards.

It's not Michelle's fault by any means. She doesn't invite herself or tell the TV crews to film every shot. I'm not mad at her this time, I'm mad at ESPN.

[elivate]

This is a similar situation that all of ther Tiger-haters have to face, too... Every time Tiger plays an event you see every single shot he hits, and you never get to see the shots of your own personal fav golfer (unless Tiger is your fav )

Obviously, Tiger is always in contention so it is not as much of an issue from a true golf fan perspective, but the tough part for Wie is that it seems like the camera is following her just to see how bad of a shot she will hit, it is almost like the gawkers that stare at car wrecks...

I watched yesterday and she actually hit a lot of nice shots, but in the grand scheme of things these shots are just average compared to the rest of the field, and we saw maybe 10% of their shots...

True, it is what it is, and I truely hope that the Golf Channel will provide better coverage, I am not sure how many Nascar fans are here, but you can subscribe to the Nascar Channel and you get 6-8 in car channels for each race, I think it would be awesome if they had the same for golf tournaments, not likely to happen, but as a real golf fan I would love it...

[Madriver]

Yeah, you are right. The average fan would rather watch Michelle Wie than Ryan Moore or Scott Verplank, but that's why us die-hard fans speak our minds on message boards.

you would really rather watch a Ryan Moore/ Scott Verplank pairing than a John Daly/ Michelle Wie pairing? I will admit to cringing on several of her putts and the drives that made me look good, but still I find in fascinating to watch her play. I would like to see more of how she stacks up to her playing partner off the tee though.

[Thrash13]

you would really rather watch a Ryan Moore/ Scott Verplank pairing than a John Daly/ Michelle Wie pairing?

I'd watch Moore/Verplank over Daly/Wie every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Golfers don't have to have "star power" for me to cheer for them. That actually has nothing to do with me being a fan of any of my favorites.

This is a similar situation that all of ther Tiger-haters have to face, too... Every time Tiger plays an event you see every single shot he hits, and you never get to see the shots of your own personal fav golfer

Tiger plays well enough to warrant the attention 99.9% of the time. It's a big difference like you stated later in your topic. I'm not a huge Tiger fan, but it's still fun to watch him play. It just hurts my head to watch Michelle Wie bogey every other hole (I know that's a little overboard).

[satch_ip]

I know it’s politically incorrect to say anything negative about Michelle, but the girl sounds like a moron. Yesterday after a 77, she said "I could have been 4 or 5 under". She had two birdie putts all day. She was the only golfer not to make a birdie. I wonder if she realizes just how out of touch with reality she sounds.

Let her play wherever she wants, it’s her life and career. But for Pete’s sake, keep your trap shut. She needs Crash Davis as her caddie to teach her how to speak to the press.

I do hope she doesn't get burned out before she turns 18 and can join the LPGA. She will bring fans and money to that tour. There is some great golf played there.

[Madriver]

ouch....Wie is +8 today thru 12 holes. +12 for the tourney....this is not a good thing for her or the PGA. I am starting to convert on the issue of wether or not it is good for her to be playing on the PGA events even with a sponsors invite or exemption. Go home Michelle, concentrate on school and have fun playing golf for your High School.

[niblick]

That's ugly. Another dead last, MC finish.

[cmarkmyers]

It's not Michelle's fault by any means.

Actually, her game is clearly not ready. She should no that so she should not be trying to compete. It certainly isn't helping her game or her credibility. If all she (and her family) wants is the exposure and the cash then she should keep on trying. My bet is she will.

It just hurts my head to watch Michelle Wie bogey every other hole (I know that's a little overboard)

9 over on 18 holes... I guess you weren't overboard at all :)

[BigAl5150]

you would really rather watch a Ryan Moore/ Scott Verplank pairing than a John Daly/ Michelle Wie pairing? I will admit to cringing on several of her putts and the drives that made me look good, but still I find in fascinating to watch her play. I would like to see more of how she stacks up to her playing partner off the tee though.

Put me in the same camp of rather watching Moore (who's leading btw) and Verplank vs. Train wreck Daly and Wie. I find watching her quite boring actually. Yes, she's only 16 and yes she is good but this beating she is taking by not getting close to making the cut is gettting quite old. Watching her putt inside 10 feet is like watching Sergio knock it around the green.

On page 54 of the October 2006 Golf Digest, David Leadbetter makes the following quote ". . . and 16-year-old phenom Michelle Wie, who routinely hits 300-yard drives". Oh really, according to PGA Tour, she averages 281.7 yards (she averaged 274.5 in Round 1 yesterday and 253 yards in Round 2 today). So much is made of her distance yet she wouldn't be leading the LPGA tour right now . That is what bothers me the most, not her trying to play against the best in the world (male of female) but the Wie Hype Machine that make ludicrous comments and seem to continue to push her into the men's events for exposure when she is clearly not ready. My only hope is that Bivens pulls her head of the sand and grants Wie full status on the LPGA.

[DBake]

SHE IS 16 YEARS OLD, HER GAME IS NOT READY PHYSICALY OR MENTALY! GET HER OFF THE TV AND THE PGA TOUR!

I am starting to wonder if she would be shooting the same kinds of scores on the LPGA as well.

[ragontona]

SHE IS 16 YEARS OLD, HER GAME IS NOT READY PHYSICALY OR MENTALY! GET HER OFF THE TV AND THE PGA TOUR!

When I become rich enough to own a corporation and sponsor a tournament, I promise not to invite her. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure none of us have any say in the matter.

I suppose we can just choose to boycott tournaments that invite her to play. Wouldn't that be a course of action we could all take? If she plays, we don't watch. Because really, that's all we can do about it. Outside of that, we're just a bunch of screaming men typing furiously in ALL CAPS yelling on internet message boards. Just thinking about her makes you livid, doesn't it...

I am starting to wonder if she would be shooting the same kinds of scores on the LPGA as well.

Considering that she finished in the Top 5 in six out of seven ladies' tournaments this year, you would be wrong.