I don’t mean to racially profile Michelle (should have two "l"s, I realise). The point I’m trying to make is that the benefits to be gained from playing one’s peers regularly, and indeed interacting with them, rather than just practising with ma and pa, would have the effect of toughening her. And she needs that.
Conceivably. OTOH, for all we know it’s all her decision and her parents are indifferent or even opposed to her playing men’s tournaments. Likewise, maybe what she’s doing will hurt her development, and maybe it will speed it along, in such a way that learning to play competitive golf on tougher courses against tougher competition will make the LPGA seem like a cakewalk to her. Wie’s detractors really have no evidence for their version of events.
This is the crux of the issue, no? A lot of you think that what she’s doing will hurt her in the long run. I disagree. I know neither group can prove their positions, but do any of you have something more than a cliche about ‘learning to win’ that suggests you are correct?
It’s not a cliche. As I said earlier, I’ll take the judgement of actual pro golfers like Tiger Woods and actual golf coaches over you any day. No offense, but that just makes sense.
I think the quote I posted earlier indicates that’s not the case.
Absolutely. I think Varloz is making some good arguments here, but in that instance he just isn’t well informed. Anyone who has seen interviews with B.J. (her dad) back when he was still caddying for her can see how he was calling the shots. And that’s when all this started.
Can you name one other golfer who has had even moderate success on the PGA Tour by turning pro at 16 and never playing any where but the Tour? Tiger Woods turned pro at 20. Do you think the 16 year old Wie was a match for the 16 year old Woods?
Tiger Woods is the best player of his generation, and, barring serious injury, will retire as the best ever to play the game*, but he could not do what Michelle Wie is trying to do. The best of the best amateurs in any given year cannot do what Wie is trying to do. Players coming out of college who have potential may receive a few sponser’s exemption, but if they missed as many cuts as Wie, they would have to go through Q school like everyone else.
If this were a 17 year old kid playing center field for the Yankees would we even be having this conversation? You don’t put boys up against men, and Michelle Wie, at this stage in her career, is no better than a talented 17 year old boy, none of whom are playing on the Tour. Ty Tyron made it through Q school at 17, lasted one year on the Tour, and is now playing overseas. Here is an informative article about young players and the PGA.
To sum up my answer, the reason it will not work for Wie is that it has never worked for anyone. What is it about her that makes her special enough to do what no one has done before?
*Since he has turned pro, Woods has won more tournaments (53 to 52) and more majors (12 to 9) than the next five players in the world combined. He averages better than a win every 4 starts.
Or, one highly ranked pro golfer who thinks that what she’s doing is good for her game/career?
He’s 7 for 14 starts this year-- 50%. That’s crazy!
BTW, anyone intersted in comparing Tiger’s stats to the record books will just love this site: Tiger.
Heheh, yeah, he’s the Roger Federer of tennis. (Why do people insist on making this comparison the other way around? ;))
He’s the Annika Sorenstam of Men’s Golf! To be fair, he’s older than Federer and had his first pro win earlier. No?
And Tiger is much better-known, which I’m sure is the key issue. I’m just looking at it as a tennis fan.
[aside]Hey, Joe Nuxall was pitching for the Cincinnati Reds at age 15. Of course, I think he started in WWII when most of the top players were gone. However he did have a long career, if not a superb one.[/aside]
He did have a long career… beginning at age 23. He was beaten like a redheaded stepchild in that one game when he was 15.
Yeah. I believe I remember an interview in which he said he was so excited when he was put into the game that the first pitch sailed over the catchers head an went to the backstop.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that girls seem to reach “sporting maturity” much earlier than boys when competing against their own sex in many sports. Imagine a 14-year-old boy in the final Sunday pairing of a major on the PGA. No one would believe it, but MW did that on the LPGA at that age (or was she 13…?). Same thing with tennis.
As a matter of fact, Mel Ott would have been a much better example. :smack: No gimmicks involved. Ott came into the National League in 1926 at age 17 and was successful from the start.
Well, if Mel Ott was playing center field for the Yankees the conversation would really be different.
Well, it has been pointed out that she started off competitive, and has gotten progressively and consistently less competitive the more men’s events she enters.
That seems to be a compelling datapoint only to me, though.
Well, it seems that way to me too. Competitive golf at that level is exceedingly demanding as to mental toughness and concentration. It seems to me that if you are trying to play a women’s tournament and are thinking about anything else, such as making the cut in a men’s tournament your game will go downhill pretty fast.
Tourney this week 274.5 dr dist thurs
253.0 fri 263.8 overall
Her stats were not rated but a journeyman ave 274.2 and was in 72 place for driving in this tourney.
Still too short. She should hand pick a course like Sorrenstam did.
No. 2 rated player in the world, Jim Furyk averages 282 on drives. He is 158th in distance tied with guys like Tommy Armour KKK and Bob Tway. Long drives help but the short game is crucial. They can all get from tee to green. After her try at the men’s tournament Sorenstam reportedly said that the one thing she found out was just how good these guys are around the green.