If Michelle Wie Would Only Listen To Me

By now you already know what Michelle Wie shot in the first round of the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, or perhaps you don’t care, and I’m not sure I blame you.

In a story that has gone from a feel good teenage phenomenon, to a Shakespearean tragedy, to down right Jerry Springer, Michelle Wie, or whoever is pulling the strings, continues to make one poor decision after another.

That Michelle needs to keep her mouth shut and wear beige until she wins something is obvious to everyone except Michelle and her handlers. However, what is becoming more and more obvious is that playing on the PGA Tour is all about money for Michelle… not the money she hopes to win, cause that’s not about to happen, but the money she has already collected and the money she hopes to collect as a dancing bear.

The ten or twelve million bucks that Nike and others gladly handed the teenager a couple of years ago, now looks like a mistake, and if there is going to be a second and third check Michelle needs to stay in the spotlight. But when the dancing bear ceases to be cute and can’t learn any new dance steps, people stop buying tickets and writing checks.

At sixteen Michelle was a teenage phenomenon with a long fluid swing that reminded everyone of Tiger Woods. At 18 she is just another young lady trying to make it. You will notice that I didn’t say trying to play golf for a living, because I don’t think that’s what she is doing. Whether it’s greed, or stupidity, this terrific young athlete has gone from cute to pathetic, and is looking a lot more like Paris Hilton than Lorena Ochoa.

David Duval, a guy who knows a bit about the ups and downs of a career, said Michelle needs to focus on the Futures Tour, not the LPGA or the PGA. Jay Williamson called it a joke when he heard Wie would play in the Reno tournament.

But, Michelle doesn't care that some people think it's a bad idea, especially if the somebody is Jay Williams, about whom she said, "I don't know who he is.”

That’s cold.

In an odd mixture of innocence and logic, Michelle also said "I wish I had no critics, but I'm realistic. People will write negative things about me. The only thing I can control is myself. A good score will resolve everything."

Tiger, now that you have a lot of time on your hands, perhaps you could give Michelle and her handlers a call. Talk about the fact that even you didn’t go pro at sixteen. Remind them that you also went to Stanford, however you played for the Cardinal. You could spend a little time talking about your U.S. Amateur Championships and how playing in PGA Tour events as an amateur gave you the experience without the pressure to win. Remind them how Phil Michelson won a PGA Tour event as an amateur and still didn’t turn pro until he finished school, and how when you turned pro you won a tournament before the ink was dry…

Wait a minute. Here’s something hot off the press from Forbes.com. “Wednesday, July 23, 2008. Hawaii's golf superstar Michelle Wie has been named one of the highest-paid female athletes by Forbes Magazine. Wie, 18, took the fifth spot on the list with her $12 million in earnings from endorsements, according to the magazine. She has endorsement deals with Nike and Sony, among others. Wie was previously named to the magazine's 20 Under 25 list of Top-Earning Young Superstars.”
On second thought, what the hell do I know? Michelle you look kind of cute as a dancing bear.