Sirak Says: More trouble for Michelle at Pine Needles

[Gdmichael]

After an opening round 82 at the Women's U.S. Open you have to won

Sirak Says: More trouble for Michelle

After an opening round 82 at the Women's U.S. Open you have to wonder...



GolfDigest.com
June 28, 2007

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – There was something appropriately symbolic about the way the morning began. As about a dozen players warmed up Thursday for the first round of the U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Michelle Wie was off to the extreme right side of the range, hitting balls under the watchful eyes of her mother, father, coach, caddie and manager. The only thing more appropriate would have been if she were to the far left, the area of the course where most of her many wayward shots ended up in a first-round 82 that pretty much guarantees she will miss the cut in a women's major championship for the first time in 15 tries.

Playing with Natalie Gulbis and Christina Kim – the same two with whom she was paired in the first round of her first LPGA major, the 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship were she finished an astonishing T-9 at the age of 13 – Michelle had the luxury of spending the five-hour and nine-minute round with two of her friends on what has become an increasingly unfriendly tour for Team Wie. But there was little time for idle chatter as Wie struggled with her swing right out of the box – on No. 4 her snap-hook barely cleared the hazard only to go out of bounds – and never appeared comfortable of the golf course.

Her comments after the round showed an odd disconnect between the way she perceived the day and what appeared to be reality. "It's just a very fine line between shooting 69 and shooting what I shot today," she said. "It's really frustrating because my scores aren't showing the way I'm playing."

That's true, but not in the way she meant. Her 82 on Thursday could have been a lot higher. She hit only four fairways and four greens, and on several occasions had wayward shots take fortunate bounces, including on No. 14 where she clanged an iron from a perfect lie in the fairway off the bleachers left of the green. She one-putted six of the first 10 greens then the patchwork game she had cobbled together collapsed and she played the final eight holes eight over par, shooting a 44 on the back nine.

There were, mixed in with a shocking array of snap hooks and high block-outs that sailed far right, enough glimmers of greatness to remind one of the way Wie has played in the past. At times a double bogey was turned into a bogey or a par was saved by a stunning shot. She hit several spectacular bunker shots, make a couple of sensational chips that demonstrated delicate touch and rolled in a half-dozen putts in the eight-foot range. It was truly a round closer to 89 than to 69. The fine line between 69 and what Wie shot in the first round was more like a chasm between fantasy perception and cruel reality.

It was the 22nd consecutive round in which Wie has failed to break par, stretching back to the final round of the Evian Masters last July. In 14 previous LPGA majors she has finished in the top-five six times, but in her most recent major – the McDonald's LPGA Championship earlier this month, she finished last, 35 strokes out of first place and 10 strokes out of next to the last.

That performance a week after she withdrew from the Ginn Tribute, citing injury and then showing up at Bulle Rock, the McDonald's course, two days later to practice, angered LPGA players who saw it as a lack of respect for their tour. It was clear from comments early in the week here by Annika Sorenstam, host of the Ginn tournament, Wie and other players that not much has been done to repair the damage. What has resulted is not much sympathy for her poor play.

The decline in Wie's play that began last year at the Evian was accelerated after the Sony Open on the PGA Tour in January when Wie suffered an injury to her left wrist she said came in a jogging accident. According to Wie, she went several months without hitting balls and lost both hand strength and confidence in her swing during that time period.

"I'm really shaky off the tee," Wie said. "I just have to play through it. I just need one round where all my shots work to get my confidence back. I need to trust that the ball will land somewhere in North Carolina."

Wie did not appear to be experiencing any discomfort from her wrist on Thursday. She played without the wrist wrap she wore at the McDonald's, and, unlike at the McDonald's, did not have a physical therapist with her to apply on-course treatment. On several occasions she took the kind of aggressive swings from the deep rough that would not have been possible with a sore wrist.

The part of her game that seems to be suffering most is trust. What appears to be going on is more a crisis of confidence than it is the result of an injury. On the range, David Leadbetter, Wie's coach, had Michelle swinging with a Gary Player-like step-through move in which she would follow the flight of the ball by taking a step toward the target. "It's forcing me into trusting my shots," Wie said. "Because right now all I need to the confidence to play well.

Certainly, nothing that happened in Thursday's first round at Pine Needles was going to make Wie feel any better about her game. Wie has already withdrawn from the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour in two weeks and her next scheduled event is the Evian Masters in France in late July, followed by the Women's British Open and the Women's Canadian Open. In September, it is off to Stanford University to begin her freshman year of college. Right now, the escape offered by college probably seems like a great alternative to Wie, who has been getting some harsh lessons in the school of hard knocks.

[littlepingman]

Her comments after the round showed an odd disconnect between the way she perceived the day and what appeared to be reality. "It's just a very fine line between shooting 69 and shooting what I shot today," she said. "It's really frustrating because my scores aren't showing the way I'm playing."

 

This definitely reminds me of the song title "A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to be Free" by Elliot Smith from his "From a Basement on the Hill" album from 2004.

 

I wonder if she really believes statements like these. Or is she making these sort of comments for the benefit of her fans. She can try to fool herself all she wants. I don't think she is fooling the rest of us.

[Lionstar]

Maybe we should consider her coach, David Leadbetter. Clearly he is one of the best golf instructors of all time,,but he is also a left-brained technical "swing coach".Remember his work with Faldo,,technical to the point of absurdity, yet when it all comes together,,look out.

Wie will come back when the "technical" becomes somewhat ingrained.She has to mature in many ways,,but don't throw dirt on her coffin yet,,I predict she will be back with a vengeance,,next year.

[Jahambo]

I couldn't agree more that the majority of the responsibility for this prolonged slump lies with her coach, Mr. Ledbetter. It appears that a number of younger players seem to have trouble absorbing his information, or at the very least there doesn't seem to be anything they can take to the course and conjure up when things start to go wrong.

 

Tiger has always been self correcting. Perhaps that's the biggest difference between Harmon and Ledbetter. Harmon seems to add a little "fail safe" methodology to his teachings. I can imagine he discusses stratagies and bail outs when bad stuff begins to happen with his prize pupils. One would imagine that Mr. Ledbetter would also. Of course, I may be way off. I can on speculate based on the actions and success of thier students.

[Milo]

I don't believe the problems lie with the coach. They emanate from a little closer to home.

[Metalhead]

regardless of the blame, very scary stuff for Ms Wie...trust has to be earned, its not something given, but very easily taken.

[Gdmichael]

I don't believe the problems lie with the coach. They emanate from a little closer to home.

 

I'm with Milo on this. Leadbetter, Harmon, Haney, Smith...I don't think it makes the slightest difference in respect to the current phase of her "career". She's mismanaged, 17 years old, over hyped and probably believes her own press reviews (or at least the old ones!).

 

Go to college. Get away from the parents, get away from the manager, hang out with some people her own age, find out what reality is. Then grow up and maybe, maybe she will be in a position to make her own decisions with respect to her life and career. If interferring parents and bad management decisons were a crime...

 

PS-Strictly my opinion on this, not GDs

[villa]

I don't believe the problems lie with the coach. They emanate from a little closer to home.

 

I'm with Milo on this. Leadbetter, Harmon, Haney, Smith...I don't think it makes the slightest difference in respect to the current phase of her "career". She's mismanaged, 17 years old, over hyped and probably believes her own press reviews (or at least the old ones!).

 

Go to college. Get away from the parents, get away from the manager, hang out with some people her own age, find out what reality is. Then grow up and maybe, maybe she will be in a position to make her own decisions with respect to her life and career. If interferring parents and bad management decisons were a crime...

 

PS-Strictly my opinion on this, not GDs

Ha, nicely added.

 

The problem is, will she be allowed to disappear for a couple of years? Nike, Sony and to a lesser extent Omega have all 'invested' a lot of money into Michelle (more than a lot of PGA pro's). Surely they'll be expecting something in return (if not wins, then tournament play at least).

 

I just wonder how big that hole is that the Wie family and her management team have dug for themselves.

[dulce]

David Duval and Ian Baker-Finch come to mind these days when I look at Michelle. Reminds me of Baker-Finch's last competitive round at the British Open. If memory serves me correctly a plus 90 score in 1997 at Troon. BTW I'm a big fan of both those guys, so I'm not being critical. However, particularly Ian was such a puzzling scenario -- scary good to scary bad. There other fallings off the map and coming back -- Se Ri, Steve Stricker, Thomas Bjorn, Woody Austin... but none have come back to dominate and I don't remember any coming back from such an inexplicable total loss of the game.

 

For me one of the things that I like about the Open Championships (US, British, mens, womens) is that early in a golfer's career, their naivete allows them to make an appearance on the leaderboard -- a good indicator of pure talent. But as one ages and acquires a memory of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that an Open Championship often serves up, it does become an examination of the heart and mind. It takes weathering adversity to build the heart and mind. Michelle's recent rounds have been her first character building rounds -- it's unfortunate that they didn't happen when she was just 13 and in junior golf. So, of course, she's feeling bewildered and confused. Up till now she's been coddled with excuses and sponsor's exemptions. She's finally being given the examination that every golfer faces at some point or another -- not can you swing a golf club but do you have the guts, courage, stamina and mind to face and overcome your own inabilities as a human being. If one could measure just pure raw talent, Annika would not be number one. If one could measure heart, mind and determination... well, that's why she was number one so many years.

[Jahambo]

First I owe Mr. Leadbetter an apology for not spelling his name correctly in my first post. Second, perhaps I expect too much out of a golf coach? When looking at all the terrific coaches that come along, such as Lombardy of the Packers of old, they simply turn raw talent into something great. I guess these super successful coaches have a lot more power over their players than a hired hand that a golf coach is. But shouldn't a truly great coach, golf or otherwise, be able to reach into the pupil and extract the greatness that is there? Wei has a ton of raw talent and a vast amount of desire. Shouldn't a great coach be able to do something with her regardless of her parents interventions. Wouldn't a great coach take control of the situation and know what to do?

 

Maybe I expect too much. Just what should be expected from a great coach? And just in case I didn't spell Mr. Lombardy's name correctly, I will apologize now.

[HeadonaStick]

First I owe Mr. Leadbetter an apology for not spelling his name correctly in my first post. Second, perhaps I expect too much out of a golf coach? When looking at all the terrific coaches that come along, such as Lombardy of the Packers of old, they simply turn raw talent into something great. I guess these super successful coaches have a lot more power over their players than a hired hand that a golf coach is. But shouldn't a truly great coach, golf or otherwise, be able to reach into the pupil and extract the greatness that is there? Wei has a ton of raw talent and a vast amount of desire. Shouldn't a great coach be able to do something with her regardless of her parents interventions. Wouldn't a great coach take control of the situation and know what to do?

 

Maybe I expect too much. Just what should be expected from a great coach? And just in case I didn't spell Mr. Lombardy's name correctly, I will apologize now.

Lombardi dealt with adults whose parents didn't control every aspect of a player's life. So, yes, he had a lot more control over the players he coached. How much control do you think any coach can wield over parents, especially when the player is a minor and the parents are paying the bills?

 

As a minor point, let me say that every player Lombardi coached didn't turn into a great player; Lombardi produced great teams, which is, perhaps only slightly, different.

 

I am also not sure Wie has any desire left to play golf. I think Team Wie has beaten it out of her.

[mchepp]

I think when you start playing badly as she is, it is really hard to get in the mindset to play well again. There will always be that self doubt about the pulled drive or hooked shot, and you start saying to yourself, "oh, here we go again."

 

I am not saying she will never win again, but I think she is doing more damage than good right now playing in these tournaments.

[Lionstar]

David Duval and Ian Baker-Finch come to mind these days when I look at Michelle. Reminds me of Baker-Finch's last competitive round at the British Open. If memory serves me correctly a plus 90 score in 1997 at Troon. BTW I'm a big fan of both those guys, so I'm not being critical. However, particularly Ian was such a puzzling scenario -- scary good to scary bad. There other fallings off the map and coming back -- Se Ri, Steve Stricker, Thomas Bjorn, Woody Austin... but none have come back to dominate and I don't remember any coming back from such an inexplicable total loss of the game.

 

For me one of the things that I like about the Open Championships (US, British, mens, womens) is that early in a golfer's career, their naivete allows them to make an appearance on the leaderboard -- a good indicator of pure talent. But as one ages and acquires a memory of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that an Open Championship often serves up, it does become an examination of the heart and mind. It takes weathering adversity to build the heart and mind. Michelle's recent rounds have been her first character building rounds -- it's unfortunate that they didn't happen when she was just 13 and in junior golf. So, of course, she's feeling bewildered and confused. Up till now she's been coddled with excuses and sponsor's exemptions. She's finally being given the examination that every golfer faces at some point or another -- not can you swing a golf club but do you have the guts, courage, stamina and mind to face and overcome your own inabilities as a human being. If one could measure just pure raw talent, Annika would not be number one. If one could measure heart, mind and determination... well, that's why she was number one so many years.

Very well stated!

[Jahambo]

Michelle Wei Withdraws Again!

 

Complaing of wrist ailments that kept her out for 4 months, Michelle Wei has withdrawn again. In this extememly competative world, where parents sometimes push children to succeed, the controversy surrounding Wei is not likely to subside any time soon. There just isn't an "Easy" button for her to push. Sadly, the chances of a normal childhood for her have long past. What remains is how she will salvage her future. Regardless of coaches, parents or pressure, in the end it is only her and the golf course that will determine her life on the LPGA tour.