Michelle Wie

It is all about the sponsors, Sony pays Millions of Dollars to be the title sponsor and they can invite anyone they choose and bringing Michelle Wie to an event creates a buzz, which in my opinion is getting old. Contrary to many beliefs, she is NOT taking a spot away from one of the guys. Sony has X amount of sponsor exemptions and they can either use them all, some or none.

Besides is she not sponsored by Sony? Is this not some return for their investment in her.

So, if Michelle can get a spot good luck to her, but unless she makes a PGA cut this year I believe this will be her last freeby.

My 02c worth

So, if Michelle can get a spot good luck to her, but unless she makes a PGA cut this year I believe this will be her last freeby.

My 02c worth

if she doesn't make the cut at Sony, she will still be given other opportunities I believe...even if she does not make a cut this yr., depending on how many tourney's she plays in, i am betting she will be given exemptions in '07...now if she plays in a lot of tourney's this yr and misses the cut in every one, then it may get old and sponsers will just say that she will have to monday qualify like everyone else...i really enjoyed it last yr. whenever she was given an exemption, esp. since she came so close...but if she starts missing them by a lot the next few times, people may start getting bored with her and the whole idea

How many LPGA events has she won??

Is she even the best young golfer out there? Pressel, Creamer?

The only reason she stands a chance is because she can hit it 40 yards further than Annika, Annika's irons, short game, putting and mental game are all clearly supperior to Wie.

But I guess shes the new breed of women's golfer??

She should never compete full time on the men's tour she shouldn't even be aloud to play events in my opinion.

PGA is a Men's Tour, LPGA is the women's tour, if they wanted women to play on the men's tour there would be NO LPGA!

Yes I think it is right because it is good business for Sony to have their marquee player in their tournament. This is not about herr earning it or it being taken from some bottom feeder. The tour is set up that at the tournament sponsors are allowed exemptions and it is their right to fill them with who they choose. Pure business.

I agree have to say that what Jean Vandevelde said was spot on: Next year I'll wear a kilt and play in the womens open.

I dont think its morally correct but its a business and the sponsors have all the right to go out and get the big draw. Michelle Wie makes so many people watch the Sony Open that normally woudl not and the tournament generates a buzz when she is playing

I think she should stick to her own tour for now. When Annika played at Colonial it was more meaningful and she totally earned her place even if she had an exemption. Wie is getting exemptions 24/7 but she hasn't even proven herself yet on the LPGA or any junior events. It would be cooler if she went to play PGA events and actually did well and made the cut... :birthday:

I also think she has to prove herself a little more.

I watch the Sony because it's in Hawaii :birthday: , not because a 16 year old girl is playing. She needs experience before she can play more events. Remember that drop? That comes from inexperience, and the PGA tour has more people watching who can call in (even though these people are really dumb) and make it a point to rules officials that a rule has been violated. So, she needs to sit down with good ole' rule book and have a nice long read, before she can compete more.

Am I against it, kind-of. I back Vandevelde with what he said 100%

First off I don't like it. Whether she taking someone's spot or not I think until she proves herself more, she's just hype.

Secondly, all she has is sponsors exemptions. She hasn't gone through LPGA Q School, she doesn't have an LPGA card. Not like Pressel who did go through Q-School and got her card. Even getting the card Pressel still had to get a special excemption to meet the minimun age requirement. So even though Michelle turned pro, if she wants to play in the US she has to rely on sponsors exemptions to get into any decent tournament.

I think you guys are looking at this a little wrong, If you were Sony, wouldn't you want to have your event sell more tickets, draw more media attention and ultimately generate increased revenue. In the end the people who benefit most are the charities, and I think that's the important thing that gets lost in all this, the more money the tour raises, the more cash they give to charity. In my opionion she doesn't deserve it, but there isn't one women on the lpga tour who i believe could come within 5 shots of the cut, let alone one as Michelle has done. She has the length to compete, yes it would be nice if she earned it through monday qualify, but o well.

Well Put!!! She has not even won any LPGA events and she is taking someone else's spot. Just not right.

Adam

I agree have to say that what Jean Vandevelde said was spot on: Next year I'll wear a kilt and play in the womens open.

Not to say i'm better than you or anyone on this website but 90% of the women in the women's open will thump you and make you feel about 3 inches tall. Let the women come try to play with the men but why would you want to go out and make an Word not allowed out of yourself trying to play with women. There is nothing to gain if you beat some women. Its just bad press. Now if a women made the cut that creates a buzz and more money for sponsors thats the only reason she is playing. She's 15 years old and has no clue whats going on. Here dad is the one to blame for this freak show. If her dad was golf smart and not money smart she would have been playing against girls so she could have learned to win. Just my 2 cent rant.

i think that it is cool to see her play and all, but i would rather see her win on the lpga and then try on mens, she won like one small event on lpga now she thinks she can play with the men?!?! she didnt even make the cut in japan.... She is taking up a spot that someone who could compete could use. Some of the guys who didnt make it through Q school do deserve a spot.

I don't think it matters and it will really be cool to see her play. The thing is though, she is not even going to make the cut and even if she gets lucky and makes it, she will get destroyed in the last rounds. Even though she is really good and can destroy me any day of the week she still has to remember that she is playing in the big leagues and is still in High School, not even considering the fact that she is a girl.

-Brendan

i think that it is cool to see her play and all, but i would rather see her win on the lpga and then try on mens, she won like one small event on lpga now she thinks she can play with the men?!?! she didnt even make the cut in japan.... She is taking up a spot that someone who could compete could use. Some of the guys who didnt make it through Q school do deserve a spot.

She is not taking a spot from a Q-school graduate. She has a sponsors exemption which means they can ask just about anybody to play. If a sponsor whants somone to play they have the right to ask them. :birthday:

Has Michelle Wie even won a high school state championship or anything against girls her age? I know she'd kill the competition but at least she'd be learning how to win. I would have liked to see her compete in the amature ranks, play in three or four day tournaments and gain winning experience, rather than compete against grown men and learn how to miss the cut and only play for two days. Sure she has tons of talent, but does she have the experience of playing under pressure in front of huge crowds. If she had a 15 foot putt on the 18th green to win the Sony with millions and millions of people watching, could she do it?

I think she should being playing lpga or junior events. I also think she should have learned how to win and waited till after college to turn pro like tiger. Because she would be able to handle pressure better and win better. And if

she absouletly has to go pro she should stick on the lpga and make some cuts and get a few wins.

I've petitioned to not watch the Golf Channel all week long. Last night, I must have heard the name "Michelle Wie" more than 500 times. Just rename Golf Central Wie Central. I hate how they give her so much attention. There's other people playing in the field, not just a wanna be 16 year old girl who thinks she's the best thing since sliced bread. I just wanna know... theres so many other boys her age that are better than her, yet they aren't trying to beat the top players IN THE WORLD. So why is she doing it? Media and money, and I hate that sooo much. I use to love baseball, but it's so money corrupt it's turning me away. Golf always seemed so wholesome, players aren't always out there trying to make money. They do it to win. To me, this is just an attempt to make money. She got $8 million last year, and not one penny came from playing golf (unless you count her rumored $1 million appearance fee in Japan in Nov. another thing that steams me up)

This whole thing makes me so mad! :birthday: I can't even express it in words.

Sorry for the rant.

I think it's great what she is doing, I bet you every person juniors alike on this board would love to be doing what she is doing, reguardless of her age, sex, race, let her persue her dream. She is technically a professional now, so I say let her play. Companies like Sony and John Deere are putting her in their events for media coverage obviously, but hey, she is having experiences of a lifetime that a lot of us will never have.

I am obviously a fan, but I can see where some of the PGA Tour guys are coming from about women on tour, the issue of them taking up a spot of a guy that is grinding for his card and trying to put food on the table week in and week out. This is all part of a learning experience for her, and while she is getting her wish of playing against the best players in the world, veiwers like us are enjoying watching her on television. Like Joe Peel said, relax people, and enjoy the ride.

- Bryan

She should never compete full time on the men's tour she shouldn't even be aloud to play events in my opinion.

 

PGA is a Men's Tour, LPGA is the women's tour, if they wanted women to play on the men's tour there would be NO LPGA!

I always find myself curious about this opinion. Why not? It's not "the men's tour", it's the professional golfers association, not PMGA or MPGA, but PGA. Why are men so worried about this? Only reason I can think of is that they are worried about getting beat, but doesn't that make life more interesting for the rest of us who watch this stuff?

If the men could play on the LPGA tour (note LADIES professional golfers association) there'd be no LPGA tour because it would just be like another (mens) tour. However, the fact that women can play in the PGA tour doesn't mean that it will cease to exist. They are completely different points. If the women are good enough they should play and if the sponsors can invite someone, they can invite whoever the hell they like so long as it doesn't contravene eligibility requirements.

van de Velde is being a fool about the whole thing. Perhaps he does feel threatened by the women? Who knows?

look at Wie's game, it is not a question of if she will be an amazing player, its just time. I think that the road she chose will take a little longer because it will take longer to learn to win on the LPGA than it would on AJGA or other amateur tournaments. As far as her playing on the PGA tour, its all depends on your definition of the PGA tour, if you believe it is the mens tour then she has no right to play; if you believe that it is a tour for the best players in the world, she has every right to try.

mike

I do not like that Michelle Wie competes on the PGA Tour. If you look at Annika, she never competed on the PGA Tour until she had won multiple events on the LPGA. That's why the LPGA was created for women. I have no problem with Wie competing on the PGA AFTER she has proved herself on the LPGA. That is why Annika did an event or two on the PGA. She wanted to further test herself against the men. She had already won almost evrything on her tour. That's my 2 cents.

it looks like i started a good topic..... i like everyones views everyone is right in a way and i agree with some but disagree with others

all i have to say is she will make the cut.

Do any of you think its right that Michelle Wie gets to get all these free sponsers exemptions to compete on the mens tour? I think that she should compete on her own tour before she comes and trys with the big boys..... no i am not sexest or anything. But you don't see paula creamer wanting to play with the men. Anika Sorenstam played with the men after she proved she was the #1 women in the world.... its a little different. What are your views?????

Give me a break, who in their right mind would not allow her to play? I have seen her play and she is damned good. the big issue is that she draws in more people than almost all of the men on the PGA tour, Tiger being the only exception. She tripled the gate at Quad Cities.

She can bridge across many ethic and age groups, men and women. The bottom line is the almighty dollar and she can bring in WAY more than any poor schlep who's spot she took. I hope she makes the cut so everyone can take a chill pill on this issue. All the, "She needs to win on the LPGA Tour or Junior Tournaments" is crap IMO. Playing against the best is the way to improve and she is doing that.

Even though someone is a great LPGA player does not mean they have the game to play against the men from the back tees. Wie has the game.

The sponsor's exemption are there for the sponsor to give them to whoever they want to, and a smart sponsor would snatchup Michelle Wie.

Spoiler! Michelle Wie's score

well said,

if there was no womens tour, it would be ok. but there is, so STAY OUT. Its really getting old

HAHAHA! I'm lovin it! I knew this would happen.

But now I gotta hear about how she's only 16 for the rest of the week. Even that has no merit. Look at what Tiger did when he was 16. And look at her. hmmm. It also has no merit cause she's 6 foot something and fully grown. When she's 20 I wonder if they'll say the same thing...

In my opinion, she shouldn't have turned pro. She needed to go to college, play college ball and then turn pro if she wanted to. She needs a back up plan just incase something happens to her golf carrer.