Whether by design or default, the end justifies the means. After a turbulent start to her professional golf career, Michelle Wie has entered LPGA Tour Qualifying School. The truth is she had virtually exhausted her other options to gain tour status. Sometimes fate has the ability to steer us back to where we should have been in the first place. Damn, for Average Golfer that was pretty deep! The 1st stage is scheduled for Sept. 9-16 at Mission Hills Country Club, curiously the site of Wie's near win in the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship. That was a high. The lows were missed cuts in men's events, a barely explainable DQ, and a host of other odd career moves that seemed to defy logic and exist to satisfy the overblown egos of her handlers/parents. Q-school is a mulligan for Michelle, a luxury many of us aren't granted when making career decisions. Should she get through this stage, and I fully expect she will, the final rounds will be held Dec. 3-7 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, FL.
I'm of the opinion that Wie is the only female golfer capable of competing on the men's tour, if competing is defined by making a cut. She's the only player with the length and strength to challenge a PGA tour setup. Armed with that knowledge, she barrelled ahead but lacked the experience and "golf savvy" to prove it. I by no means am suggesting that a men's event should be on her schedule in the near future, but am merely commenting on the size of her game.
If things happen for a reason Q-school for Michelle could be a boon for the LPGA. Having obtained her card the traditional way should remove some of the animus that's been directed at her. The LPGA would have a potential 20 year star at just the time they could use one. Everyone matures at a different rate. Maybe Michelle, on the cusp of real adulthood, will find herself steering her own ship. Regardless of the results, that would be a good thing. Are you listening Mr.& Mrs. Wie?
Til' next,
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Michelle Wie Does the Right Thing - In Queue for Q-School.
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Michelle is so entertaining to watch! And the misadventures she's had so far in her short life have just made her more compelling. She'll be great for the LPGA. I sure wish the best for her.
ReplyDeleteIf she can just play golf she'll be fine. The LPGA does and will need her more than they know.
ReplyDeleteMichelle is exactly the spice that the LPGA needs. I hope Q-school is just the beginning of a long-term commitment/relationship with the LPGA.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope she feels the same way.
ReplyDeleteThat's my concern too. But maybe this will be a turning point. I sure hope so.
ReplyDeleteIt make take a couple of years. Tough to be a full time student at a school as demanding as Stanford, and put in the time necessary to be a golf pro.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see Michelle Wie going back to the drawing board. I really hope this is the new dawn she was looking for and she will get her game back on track. For a while it did seem that she had lost the hunger and the drive to excel, her mind had gone for a walk and honestly the sponsors invites and exempts were not really helping her cause. Now that her career has seemingly reached a cul de sac, it is as good a time as any to bring in some resolve and drill through the dead end and bring back Michelle Wie who was touted as the next big thing in the world of golf.
ReplyDeleteShe showed some signs of Wie of yore towards the latter half of the season. We know one thing for sure, the talent she has tells us for sure she does not belong to the bottom of the pile and she has to strengthen her mental fortitude for she should be toe to toe with the likes of Lorena Ochoa and not looking to secure her card at the end of each season.
Let's hope Q-school marks the beginning of a new dawn for her career.
I hope you're right Andy. I don't think we'll quite see her full potential until she's a full time golfer. i.e. Done with college.
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