[John_Conley]

Jeff, I know you aren't a fan of Michelle Wie, but I feel I need to point out a few things.

1) Michelle Wie is not the first one to 'talk smack' out of ignorance about their own game.  Venus Williams said something in the media about being as good as the 100th ranked male.  Her sister Serena was asked about this, which is not close to reality if you follow tennis, and said, "I think she talks too much."

Michael Jordan took up golf and became a decent player with a 5-7 handicap.  He talked about playing pro golf after his basketball ended.  MJ couldn't compete LOCALLY against AMATEUR golfers and have success.

Wie won't ever have high finishes in the Masters.  Some are blaming her and her people, but I think anyone that bought into it is equally culpable.

2) It is true that Michelle Wie has not fared well in her last however many Majors.  I don't think anyone with a pulse has argued that she did.  While it isn't slanted to say she finished 124th, I'm reminded of a friend's quote.  He's one of the areas best players, winner of some prominent amateur events.  Tired of guys beating him in NET club events, he only replied, "it will mean a little more when you beat me when I play well."  Golf is a fickle game.  Wie's obviously 'lost it'.  So did Verplank, Rogers, Stricker, Baker-Finch, and others.  For some it is due to injury, desire, health, or personal life.  For others there is no explanation.  To my untrained eye it looks like Michelle Wie turned a corner from 2007 to 2008 and should return to prominence.  My $.02 is that she still has all the skill, but probably will never have the immense drive that Sorenstam, Ochoa, Creamer, and select others do.  Hey, you can trick a 13-year-old girl into doing anything, but eventually she grows her wings.  Who knows, Michelle may find it far more interesting to hang around Robin Lopez than a wedge, bag of Titleists, and a chipping green.

[Phil_the_Author]

Garland,

As I was away I didn't get to comment on your statement that, "What people don't understand (or forget) is that Tiger's advice is valid for very few people, the most significant being Tiger Woods. Tiger's advice is not valid for Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Gary Player, etc. If you try to argue it was valid for Jack Nicklaus, then you must understand that Jack didn't think continued amateur status would be of much value to him."

It is an easy statement to make yet most today have no concept of actually WHY it would be true. All one has to do is look at how Jack fared in the 4 Major Championships he played in during his last 2 years as an amateur.

In 1960 he tied for 14th in the MASTERS and finished 2nd to Arnold Plamer and his famous charge at Cherry Hills in the U.S. Open.

In 1961 he finished tied for 7th in the MASTERS and then finished 4th in the U.S. Open.

Oh yes, his first win as a professional came the following year in 1962 when he WON the U.S. Open! This was after he had tied for 15th at the MASTERS. He would finish 32nd in the British Open before finishing tied for 3rd at the PGA. He was named Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour, so I guess turning pro didn't seem to hurt him.

On the other hand, it seems to have devastated young Miss Wie almost as much as the advice she has gotten from her family regarding her career choices...

[Garland Bayley]

...
You might not like what I posted from the NYT, but unless it is inaccurate, I don't want to hear about how it is "slanted."

Well Jeff, the article contained the follwoing:

"Just two years ago, things were different. Wie finished in the top five in the first three majors of the year. She came closer than any woman has to qualifying for the men’s United States Open, reaching the sectionals and creating a huge stir at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J., before fading to a tie for 59th. On a roll that began in 2004, she finished in the top 25 in 10 of her first 11 L.P.G.A. majors.

In her last 99 holes at major championships, Wie is 34 over par. Comprising her last five major championship finishes are four missed cuts and a tie for 84th. She has battled an injury to her wrist, a soap opera drama in her professional relationships with other L.P.G.A. players, and she has gone through more caddies than most pros have drivers."

You quoted only the first sentence of the second paragraph. I only called it slanted, because I held back from telling you what I really thought. I will still hold back, but I think people can see what you are up to.

[Craig Sweet]

The truth is Wie was having a very good career BEFORE she was injured....as Garland and the NY Times has pointed out...I seriously doubt that any of the current "hot young women" on that Tour have had Top 5 finishes in the first three majors of this year,nor have any had 10 Top 25 finishes in their first eleven majors....in fact, I doubt there has been a golfer, male or female, with that record in majors...

Injuries do happen, and changes in golf swings often lead to less than spectacular results initially....however, it does appear that Wie is beginning to find her swing, and she is 99% healed from her injuries...that said, I do believe we will see more good results from Wie in the near future.

[Craig Sweet]

For those that insist she needs to "learn how to win"....some career highlights:

2000 - 10 years old


As a 10 year old, Michelle Wie participated in various junior hawaii tournaments, usually in various age brackets such as 11-12 or 14-15 or adult ladies events.
She won various events including:
- OJGA Stroke Play Tournament At Hawaii Country Club, Girls 11-12
- OJGA Nine Hole Stroke Play Tournament At Kapolei Course Girls 11-12
- Mayor's Cup at the Ala Wai Golf Course - ladies flight
- OJGA Tour Championship At Makaha Valley Country Club Girls 11-12

She also became the youngest ever qualifier for the US Women’s Amateur Public Links Competition at 10 years of age, and she qualified through the stroke play section of that tournament before being knocked out in the first round of matchplay.

 2001 - 11 years old


Michelle Wie won her first event of the year:
- OJGA Stroke Play Tournament At Hawaii Prince Golf Club, Girls 11-12
She won this event by 11 strokes and it was clear that she needed to play more with older age groups to get more competition, and this appears to be the time she started to play against more ladies adult competition.

Playing more events with ladies adults did not hurt her progress and she went through a raft of titles, winning all the major Hawaii stroke play titles with the exception of the Hawaii State Open (where she came 2nd and which she came back to the following year and won by 13 strokes).

Some of her ladies victories included:
- Jennie K. Wilson Invitational at Mid-Pacific Country Club (the most prestigious women’s amateur tournament in Hawaii) (won by 9 strokes).
- Hawaii State Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Mid-Pacific Country Club
- HSJGA Junior Tour, girls 15-18, at the Poipu Bay Golf Course
- Hawaii State Junior Golf Association’s Tournament of Champions - Girls 15-18.

She also tried her hand at some Hawaii mens events including:
- Manoa Cup Hawaii State Amateur Match-Play Championship (first and youngest female (age 11) to qualify for match-play dating back to 1907).
- Mayor's Cup Golf Tournament, 2001- Championship Flight, 25th place.

She again qualified for the US Women’s Publc Links and improved on her previous performance, getting to the last 16 (3rd round) of the competition.

 2002 - 12 years old


At this stage it was becoming obvious that there was not much competition for Michelle in Hawaii ladies golf competitions. So attention started to focus more on the mainland for women's events, as well as playing some mens events in Hawaii.

Mens
- In early 2002 she played in a Hawaii mens professional tournament, The Hilo Invitational Golf Tournament, where she finished 47th of the 124 players. The tournament was won by pga tour pro Dean Wilson.
- She also came 17th in the Hawaii State Amateur Stroke-Play Championship (MENS).
- At the Manoa Cup, she became the first and youngest female (age 12) to advance to the second-round of match play.

Ladies
- In February, Michelle entered qualifying for the lpga event, The Takefuji Classic, where she qualified, and became the youngest player ever to Monday Qualify for an lpga tour event (at 12 years of age). The previous youngest was Natalie Gulbis at 14. At the event itself she shot rounds of 72 and 74 to miss the cut by 3 strokes.
- In July, Wie entered Monday qualifying for another lpga event, The Wendy’s Championship and again qualified, this time with medalist honors. At the event itself, she missed the cut by just 2 strokes.
- Between those lpga events, she had again qualified for the US Women’s Publinx and this time improved her performance again, getting to the Semi-Finals of the competition, a performance that meant she automatically qualified for the following years competition.
- She also played the Trans National Women's Amateur Championship, and became the Youngest Junior Medalist in the history of the event.

More Mens Events
After the majority of her mainland ladies events, she went back to Hawaii, and played 3 adult male amateur tournaments. Her results were:
- Barbers Point Invitational Tournament, 4th place.
- Hickam Invitational Tournament, 5th place.
- Mayor's Cup Golf Tournament, 2002- Championship Flight, 20th place.

 2003  - 13 years old


MENS
- After such a successful 2002 season, she started her 2003 campaign by attempting to qualify for the pga event, the Sony Open. She shot a very credible 73 (1 over) from the championship tees (Par 72) at the Pearl Country Club, but did not qualify for the Sony Open itself.
- Next she played the Hawaii Pearl Open where she made the cut and finished 43rd in the 193 player field.
- Next she played the Hawaii State Amateur Stroke-Play Championship and had a very impressive 4th place finish. To put this result in context, Wie was 13 years old and this field of male amateurs included Parker McLaughlin (who Wie finished 8 strokes ahead of). Parker would go on to gain a full pga tour card for the 2007 season.

LADIES
- In March 2003, Michelle received a sponsors exemption to the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The Kraft Tournament had a long history of giving exemptions to top amateurs, and because of Michelle’s excellent amateur record, as well as her two successful attempts at qualifying for lpga tour events her exemption was well deserved. However, as much as people had been impressed by her record, most were shocked when she recorded a 9th place finish there. Nobody of that age had ever made a cut in a major, let alone finished in the top 10.
- She also went through qualification for the US Women’s Open and qualified. At the US Women’s Open itself, she placed a very credibile 39th, becoming the youngest player to make the cut at the US Women’s Open.
- Add to this she won the US Women’s Public Links Competition, (the youngest player ever to win an adult usga event).

The combination of these successes meant that lpga tournaments were eagerly lining up to offer her exemptions to play their events.
- In total she played 7 lpga events in 2003, missing the cut in just one of those events (by one stroke at the Jamie Farr Classic) and making the cut in all 6 other events, with placings of 9th, 28th, 33rd, 38th, 52nd and 69th.

I won't bother with her results at age 14,15 and 16....needless to say she continued to excell...

[Rick Shefchik]

I detect signs of burnout, as the impressive resume that Craig posted might even hint at. But for those who criticize the strategic path of her career, I think that resume also suggests she had little choice but to "play up." At what point are you still learning how to win by beating hapless peers, and at what point do you stop improving because there is no one to challenge you?

The playing-against-the-men thing got old pretty fast, but there was a point a few years ago, as the resume suggests, when it would almost have been dumb NOT to try it.

And I'm not even sure burnout is the issue, now that I recall the look in her eyes as she walked off the 9th hole at Interlachen following her 9 there. If she were burned out, I would have expected to see resignation, indifference or embarrassment. Instead, I saw a quiet, controlled fury. She just might have a comeback in her.

Putting better would help.

[Jay Flemma]

You provincial US mainlanders still don't get it!   

There is no way that Michelle Wie could have learned enough about the game of golf as a rank amateur at age 13-14 to hit the type of shots she hit without expert counsel and advice.   At one point she was quoted as saying, "when I started playing the game, I didn't know any more than a rank beginner.   If I knew then how how difficult the game was actually going to be, Im not sure I would have started playing in the first place."

I've also come across information that contrary to our "legendary" understanding, Wie did NOT travel to the mainland US at the age of 8 as previously reported, but instead travelled there much later when she was 9 and a half!

SO much for the romantic, emotionally-sentimental story that she spent time learning at an early age under the combined tutelage of Rick Smith and Butch Harmon!!!   

Instead, I've found that the grandson of HH Barker actually discovered the baby Wie floating in a basket down a saltwater inlet wrapped in swaddling clothing.   Barker, somewhat of a OCD-ridden, "RainMan"-imitating golf-playing afficianado, devoted the next three years of his life teaching Wie the proper swing plane and mental attitude necessary to compete at the highest levels of the female game.

Despite his well-intentioned instruction, about seven days later a dashing ghost of Charles Blair Macdonald, followed closely by the spectre of his subservient son-in-law HJ Whigham, told the young Michelle to discard all of that GardenCity nouveau riche nonsense and get back to basics.   

THey had her create a swing that was based on exact imitations...templates if you will...of 18 swing components and keys of the 18 greatest players ever to set foot on a golf course, and they did it all in 3 and a half days...well...actually...a total of about 19 hours spread over the next two and a half years, excluding bathroom runs, 36 holes of play at Mauna Kea, and some mindless chatter about the differences between Pacific and Atlantic coastal winds.

So, was born a champion...a future champion.    err...someday...perhaps.

In any case. you now know the true and exact background story. 

Now wait a minute...I heard she was born in the sewers of New York, made genetically stronger by toxic waste, and trained as a ninja by the famous Master Splinter, so she dedicate her life to defeating her arch-nemesis the Shredder?

Oh..wait...that's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...

[Jay Flemma]

Creamer, despite throwing up all over herself on Sunday, does still have one more LPGA victory than Ms. Wie.

According to her Wikopedia page Creamer has 6 LPGA wins.

yeah...and on Michelle's wikipedia page it says time magazine named her on of the 100 people who shape our world in 2006!

Ask me which one any golfer would rather have...a major? or that publicity machine?

[Matt_Ward]

Here's the botton line gents -- the pro-Wie crowd, especially those who were ready to canonize her -- need to simply admit that their exuberance was off base.

All I am seeing now being posted is the "what might be pontifications" which sadly leave off the inability to admit clearly that their original zeal was misplaced. Then we have the famed injury excuse and all else that can be thrown into the mix.

Wie has shown potential and no doubt for a time she caused a stir. She's had her Andy Warhol 15 minutes of fame.

The real issue is whether the fire is actually in Michelle's gut or her parents.

End of story ...

[Craig Sweet]

Matt Ward, you are hysterical! The girl finishes in the Top 25 in 10 of her first 11 majors and you think the "original zeal" was misplaced, and our exuberance was "off base"? She finished no worse than 3rd in the first three majors of 2006 but I guess that wasn't good enough...too much exuberance???

With the possible exception of Tiger has there been any other golfer with that kind of record in majors at the start of their career?

[Craig Sweet]

By the way Matt...I have seriously question your judgment when rating courses, and now I see you are no better in judging this young womans career....she's 19, and is coming off a serious injury that certainly set her back, and you have written her off....what a fool.

[Jay Flemma]

Matt Ward, you are hysterical! The girl finishes in the Top 25 in 10 of her first 11 majors and you think the "original zeal" was misplaced, and our exuberance was "off base"? She finished no worse than 3rd in the first three majors of 2006 but I guess that wasn't good enough...too much exuberance???

With the possible exception of Tiger has there been any other golfer with that kind of record in majors at the start of their career?

Craig, she may have peaked to eary...or worse, may have some emotional scars that need healing...she went form teen sensation to a whipping post...and that cant be good for a teen's ego or development.  Matt's right...expectations were too high and she was mishandled...

Also, really, lets not attack matt's work just because we disagree with him.  Matt is a bright hard working guy.  Call him what you will, but his work and dedication command respect, even if we dont agree.

[Kalen Braley]

I've read the issues, the pros, the cons, yada, yada on MW...and thats fine.

But I don't know why the bigge$t rea$on continue$ to be neglected.  Who here is going to turn down a $20 million pot of gold?

[Matt_Ward]

Craig:

Look in the mirror for the real fool's reflection.

Take a reality pill. The pro-Wie crowd, you included, sipped so much kool-aid and now cannot possibly admit that all this talk about Michelle being the next divine inspiration that would whoop male professional golfers and all the rest was waaaaaaaaaaaaay over board.

No doubt she had high finishes and she deserves significant credit for that. But, Team Wie decided to go in other directions and start to take on other competitive fires that were clearly beyond the scope of her talent. The competition could have been handled far better -- instead Team Wie decided the circus act would continue to gather steam.

It hasn't.

Candidly, I have to wonder if Michelle ever really had her heart in all of this stuff. No doubt the fire in the belly does come from here parents -- notably her father, what else is new on that front.

Michelle possessed tremendous talent at a very early age -- that type of situation is not new and she clearly demonstrated some meaningful advcancements. But, it's time for reality to be seen for what it is NOW.

I always enjoy the injury excuse as a cover -- how bout you and all the rest who gushed about her and sipped from the kool-aid punch bowl now begin to acknowledge that the show is no longer what so many others got sucked into believing.

My line has always been the same from the get-go -- show me. Michelle might indeed to turn out to be something special but all the pro-Wie crowd has done is take umbrage at the critics who have held their feet to the fire on this topic.

End of story ...

p.s. Craig, if you don't care for my course reviews -- ignore them like I will you.





 

[JESII]

Matt,

Your passion for this particular subject does not reflect well upon you.

[Matt_Ward]

JES II:

Hold the phone -- I get attacked and I'm supposed to suck it up and take it on the chin !

I simply have held the feet to the fire of all those pro-Wie folks who went ON AND ON AND ON about how Michelle Wie was going to conquer all worlds. I attempted to provide a bit of perspective and have said that I admire what she has done but the kool-aid types need to admit that their original assessment went way overboard. For some reason -- the denial or excuse page is now being stated as a cover.

Then I get my judgement called into question on a totally unrelated thread. If the person posting has something to offer on that thread go to it and say so -- as others have done.

All the pro-zealot Wie crowd needs to do is admit that their original point of view has now been clearly shown to be misplaed. Michelle is a great gal and I wish her well -- but as I said previously, I have to wonder if the real passion to accomplish elements in the competitive arena were driven by her or by her parents and those associated with Team Wie.

[George Pazin]

Kinda sad to see many folks driven by bitterness and envy having to rip a young girl. One develops a new appreciation for the OSU Football coach's rant at the media.

I think she's gonna be fine, she'll just take longer than it seemed. And she's got more to fall back on then most of the Monday morning quaterbacks on this site.

This crowd would've written off Hogan in his twenties.

George

Is this how you interpret what folks are saying?  As one of those folks I can say I wish Wie all happiness.  This wishing her well has nothing to do with her golf.  The bottom line is folks proclaimed her as the next coming of Jesus at a very young age - imo quite without reason as well.  Finishing top 5 in a few majors doesn't make her a world beater - winning tournaments does.  My take was to wait and see before making any grandiose claims - and I am still waiting as she is still a kid.  If this is bitterness then I must be about the most happy go lucky guy about town.   

Ciao

I wasn't referring to your posts, but that's the way I read much of this thread. She isn't even 20 yet and has had several wrist injuries.

Just a downright sad thread to read.

[Glenn Spencer]

I followed Michelle for 5 straight days at US Publinx. I saw her rally to make a cut, drum a kid, beat a solid player solidly, win a war against an honorable mention all-america type and get drummed by a guy that God couldn't have beaten that day. Put all the talk to rest, this girl cares and has plenty of fire in her belly. I am one of staunchest supporters, but I didn't think what is going now, would be. At the same time, we don't know what happened with the wrist and we don't know what she has in store for us. This conversation is AT LEAST 5 years away from meaning anything. She does have a very serviceable short game. We all remember her worst short game moments and they can be untimely for her, but imagine if your short game was being remembered by people. I wouldn't leave the house, don't know about you all.

[Matt_Ward]

Glenn:

When you say "serviceable short game" you are spinning a good bit more and your pro-Wie side does come through. The issue is whether Michelle has a short game / putting to play at the highest stage of women's golf. I've seen her play a few times and it's clear to me and others that she doesn't.

If and when that should happen then the possibilities are there.

The issue is not whether Joe Sixpack has a short game for world consumption -- it's whether she has. From the different situations I have witnessed personally and seen on the tube it's clear to me it's a work in progress at-best.

David C:

We have no clear idea if golf is her "life's passion." I know it's the passion of her dad and those associated with Team Wie.  David, watch the incident when Michelle "pulled out" of an event because the possibility of her breaking 88 was in clear jeopardy. Michelle was being "advised" by an assortment of people -- including here dad -- to avoid getting DQed for the rest of the LPGA season was in full view. Team Wie went the WD route to preserve the cash machine option at the LPGA level.

Try to separate the girl from her walking corporation. I have a huge amount of respect for what Michelle has accomplished but it's the supporters, who if you read the previous posts on this subject, who went vastly overboard prior to her really accomplishing what so many believed was a done deal. Tiger's comments on this matter are quite clear and probing.

David, try to also keep in mind how Annika handled her one-time situation with the PGA Tour and what Team Wie tried to continue on and on and on when the scores said otherwise. Those ventures became less and less about real competition and more about stirring the pot for the circus sideshow so that $$$ could keep on coming in to Team Wie.

The sad fact is that the hype became the story line and the real results became secondary. I want to see what happens but the fire needs to be in Michelle's belly and not all the others that are a part of her circle.

[Glenn Spencer]

Glenn:

When you say "serviceable short game" you are spinning a good bit more and your pro-Wie side does come through. The issue is whether Michelle has a short game / putting to play at the highest stage of women's golf. I've seen her play a few times and it's clear to me and others that she doesn't.

If and when that should happen then the possibilities are there.

The issue is not whether Joe Sixpack has a short game for world consumption -- it's whether she has. From the different situations I have witnessed personally and seen on the tube it's clear to me it's a work in progress at-best.

David C:

We have no clear idea if golf is her "life's passion." I know it's the passion of her dad and those associated with Team Wie.  David, watch the incident when Michelle "pulled out" of an event because the possibility of her breaking 88 was in clear jeopardy. Michelle was being "advised" by an assortment of people -- including here dad -- to avoid getting DQed for the rest of the LPGA season was in full view. Team Wie went the WD route to preserve the cash machine option at the LPGA level.

Try to separate the girl from her walking corporation. I have a huge amount of respect for what Michelle has accomplished but it's the supporters, who if you read the previous posts on this subject, who went vastly overboard prior to her really accomplishing what so many believed was a done deal. Tiger's comments on this matter are quite clear and probing.

David, try to also keep in mind how Annika handled her one-time situation with the PGA Tour and what Team Wie tried to continue on and on and on when the scores said otherwise. Those ventures became less and less about real competition and more about stirring the pot for the circus sideshow so that $$$ could keep on coming in to Team Wie.

The sad fact is that the hype became the story line and the real results became secondary. I want to see what happens but the fire needs to be in Michelle's belly and not all the others that are a part of her circle.

Matt,

Exactly. You have seen her hacking in person and on tv. I have seen her hack on tv. In person, I didn't think her short game had to hold her back that much. I was actually impressed by it. I am trying to say that the base is there, it just hasn't always looked like it. Trust me, you can't fake what I saw for 5 straight days. It could be a solid short game. It is not as if any of the girls are REALLY great putters. Great to me, yes, but not to the men's game. Her somewhat competitive effort at US Open qualifying tells me that she has something there. Remember that deft chip in Round 1? But, you are right, her bad is bad.

[Sean_A]

Kinda sad to see many folks driven by bitterness and envy having to rip a young girl. One develops a new appreciation for the OSU Football coach's rant at the media.

I think she's gonna be fine, she'll just take longer than it seemed. And she's got more to fall back on then most of the Monday morning quaterbacks on this site.

This crowd would've written off Hogan in his twenties.

George

Is this how you interpret what folks are saying?  As one of those folks I can say I wish Wie all happiness.  This wishing her well has nothing to do with her golf.  The bottom line is folks proclaimed her as the next coming of Jesus at a very young age - imo quite without reason as well.  Finishing top 5 in a few majors doesn't make her a world beater - winning tournaments does.  My take was to wait and see before making any grandiose claims - and I am still waiting as she is still a kid.  If this is bitterness then I must be about the most happy go lucky guy about town.   

Ciao

I wasn't referring to your posts, but that's the way I read much of this thread. She isn't even 20 yet and has had several wrist injuries.

Just a downright sad thread to read.

George

There is no question Wie had some bad breaks with injuries, but some of that is down to her being overly aggressive with coming back - which may in part be down to all the hype.  Its a dog gone shame that a girl of her age was forced to choose between wealth and and a somewhat normal life.  In many ways she couldn't make the right or wrong decision.  It is what it is.  However, now that she has taken the money, she must be judged against her peers.  While she hasn't lived up to the hype, she hasn't done half bad.  Hopefully she will see the positive aspects of what she accomplished and channel that into whatever she chooses.  As I say, I don't care if she never hits another shot - its only a game. The imporatnt thing is to kick on and be happy.  For cryin out loud, she is a wealthy teenager who earned the cash off her own skills - she should be ecstatic. 

Ciao

[Tim Pitner]

While it's way too early to write her off, it seems to me that there was a rush to annoint Wie as the female equivalent of Tiger Woods when it's likely that there never will be an equivalent (male or female) of Tiger Woods. 

While not a bad putter, she's not a particularly good one and how often do you see a putter improve with age?

[George Pazin]

Its a dog gone shame that a girl of her age was forced to choose between wealth and and a somewhat normal life.

I'm amazed you view this as a negative. If I were Wiesy, I'd be laughing my ass off at the ________'s of the world who choose to nitpick and second guess every decision she or her parents make. While she should be judged against her peers, I don't think she should be judged every 5 minutes, with "What have you done for me in the last 5 minutes?" as the standard. There are many paths to success and failure and the many stops in between.

In the end, David Cronan states my position better than I ever could. I'd grant him my golfclubatlas power-of-attorney, but he'd quickly tire of Matt's endless haranguing and stop sending me Christmas cards.

[Sean_A]

Its a dog gone shame that a girl of her age was forced to choose between wealth and and a somewhat normal life.

I'm amazed you view this as a negative. If I were Wiesy, I'd be laughing my ass off at the ________'s of the world

George

Its not negative or positive - its just modern life.  The problem with it is once she has the cash she then MUST step out on the 1st tee and face whatever comes her way.  She already had the cash, then it was time to perform.  Thats a lot of pressure for kid and I do think its shame that Wie became a commodity before she was even old enough to vote.  Its more an indictment of society than Wie.  Nobody can blame her for taking the cash, but the problem then becomes one of expectations.  Its human nature to expect great things from folks earning big cash - except it would seem in the world of business where guys get paid huge sums of shareholder cash after failing!   

Ciao

[John_Conley]

I've met Matt.  I enjoyed his company.  I'd like to play golf with Matt.

That said.............

One of Matt's traits is that he isn't really open to viewpoints that don't match his own.  Anyone with a kind word to say about Michelle Wie becomes someone that said she'd win the Masters multiple times.

That's not what happened, but you'll never convince Matt.

Did SOMEONE think that?  Maybe.  Did everyone?  C'mon, that question doesn't need to be answered.

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