(sick bastard hat on): Couple years ago, I had this weird dream wherein she walked into the hot tub I was in, and insisted we mess around. She just started in, and said I would never object because if I did, I’d be admitting to a felony. It ended there, I swear to Ja.
(hat off)
And, when she retires, she’s going down as one of The Greats. Period.
I’ve never seen media and fandom alike get so…so deranged about this young woman’s career (she wasn’t even a full-time pro until now). I swear, it was worse than Danica Patrick, Tonya Harding, and Jennifer Capriati put together.
It’s a long season, so I suspect it’ll blow over. In golf, all it takes is a couple of events. Now that Annika Sorenstam is past her prime, we’re going to see new winners and new favorites emerge. With any luck, Wie will be in there. Of course, once victory #1 is in the bag, ALL the heat is off (see: Patrick, Danica).
At least she has her head on straight and she’s now aware of the bottom line. Make shots, sign those scorecards, make the cut, win enough money to be here again. As long as she keeps acting like a professional, I’m not too picky over when her big breakthrough is.
But ye gods, all the screaming and flailing and foaming at the mouth and hysteria over each and every tournament…this fun for you guys or what? It can’t end too soon for me.
Like it or not, a certain amount of the “screaming and flailing” resulted from her shameless self-promotion. Yes, she was a very talented youth golfer. Yes, she hits the ball a country mile, as far as the women go. Yes, she’s quite pretty, fairly self-composed, etc. And no, she’s not stupid enough to choose to promote ugly versions of pink while pretending to be a fashion plate and coming off as something just short of a two-dollar hooker.
But this insistence on behaving as if she had already arrived has made her a target. By accepting invitations to compete with the men, she simultaneously opened herself up to criticism over her focus, while creating jealousies and lingering feelings of unfairness among her soon-to-be fellow pros. She didn’t have to accept those invitations. But she (or more likely her father, who’s managed her career) wanted to play up her status, before her status was based on anything other than potential. Had she actually, you know, won an LPGA tournament, especially a major, THEN had begun to invite comparisons to male golfers, I daresay some of the “flailing” would have been averted.
You reap what you sow. Now, hopefully, she’s plowing an easier row to hoe.
That was the achievement part of her career, the underachievement bit came after that. Since she came in second at the Evian in July 2006, her LPGA record is:
26th
17th
WD
84th
WD
69th
Missed Cut
Missed Cut
Missed Cut
19th
72nd
Missed Cut
24th
Missed Cut
46th
DQ
Missed Cut
12th
2nd (gave up a 3 stroke lead in the last 8 holes)
There is a bit of Danica Patrick there, where eventually the sports talk guys ask themselves “Why am I spending so much time talking about a person who doesn’t have a single win on their resume? Top level sports are about winning, not about getting close.” With the added benefit of Wie not even being competitive the last two years, whatever the reason. She arrived on the scene looking like she’d revolutionize women’s golf, and hasn’t even won her first tournament yet.
I think she’s got a while to go before she reaches Danica Patrick or Anna Kournikova status. How many golfers have compiled better records that MW at a similar age? I’m betting it is a pretty short list.
IMO she (and her management) aimed too high for a teenager playing part-time, in an effort to maximize her celebrity. Fortunately for her, golfers aren’t washed up at 20. She may never be the equal to Tiger - or Annika or Loren - but she will be one of the top LPGA players competing in and winning many a tournament for years to come.
She will, IF she has finally gotten her head screwed on right about what it is she wants to do. IF this year represents an adjustment to reality (I’m a damn good female golfer, and should proceed to prove it), then she’ll be fine. If it’s merely a temporary adjustment, and she gets a swelled head again, then no, she’ll flame out without accomplishing much.
Not a hugely favorable sign that she seems to intend to split her time somewhat between golf and the tour.
ISTR hearing over the weekend that after this tourney she intended to finish the current quarter at Stanford. Then she planned on taking 2 academic quarters off to golf. Uncertain what her plans were after that.
Looking at Stanford’s academic calendar, it seems the winter quarter ends in late March. Then the Spring and Summer quarters run from April through August. She says making the Solheim Cup is a priority of hers, but she intends to take off the first month and a half of the season, while her competitors are piling up points.
Golf is a tough enough sport to compete - let alone excel - at even if you are doing it full-time.
you mean *school *and the tour, right?
Yeah.