Michelle Wie

[jessexy]

anybody care? i think this is an awesome thing cuz she is beting people in order to qualify for the Masters, not playing on a sponsor exemption. If she wins, though, Augusta National & ole Hootie still have to invite her to play in the Masters. Do they hold with Tradition or does Hootie create another stir and lose out on all that commercial and sponsorship revenue for the next 10 years?

[FlockOfSeagulls]

Sorry, but I am entirely too concerned with finding a way to get her to marry me than whether or not she is going to win this tournament.

[CATLAX MAN]

Actually, the Masters have traditionally invited the winner of the Public Links to participate, but are not required to. There's a big difference there. Hootie did not back down in the previous attempt by women's organizations to force female memberships, so there is no reason to think that he will be compelled to permit Michelle Wie to participate, assuming she wins, unles he feels like it. They don't care about commercial sponsorship revenue at Augusta.

[Dan Wishengrad]

Being an Iolani grad myself it's hard to root from anybody from arch-rival Punahou, but the girl does have game. All she has to do now is enroll at Oregon after high school and my anti-Wie feelings will be cemented!

Seriously, this kid is great for women's golf and great for the sport in general. Best of luck to her...

[Brent Burns]

It will probably be a few years later that we will see Tessa Teachman, now 15, of Rochester, NY showing up in the golf spotlight. She had already played in some women's pro golf games this year.

Here's the skinny on Tessa Teachman:

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005505150336

If it were head to head, Michelle will beat out Tessa.

[laxfan25]

Unfortunately the dream is over for this year. She just lost to a BYU golfer 5 and 4. since she did make the quarterfinals she autoamtically qualifies for the PubLinx for next year, so she doesn't have the pressure of qualifying through medal play. Hootie and the rest of the Augusta blowfish can sleep easier for '06.
I think that eventually she will end up playing in that tournament, somehow, someway. She looks so much older than 15 that I don't think you really appreciate what she has accomplished. Although when I think of my little 14 year old daughter (15 the end of this month), it is jaw-dropping to consider.
On another golf note, during the British Open thye played a new Nike Tiger commercial where they have him superimposed as a little kid on St. Andrews. A great spot!
BTW, FlockofSeagulls, you are a cradle-robber! (But not without good reason!)

[Danny Hogan]

She looks so much older than 15 that I don't think you really appreciate what she has accomplished.

wasn't there some big investigation on this and her original birth cert could not be found?

[KnoxVegas]

I have worked four tournaments, so far this year, in which Michelle has played. She is a 15 year old girl, who can drive the ball 300+. Most of the guys I see on the Nationwide Tour cannot accomplish this. Still, she is 15 with a bright future ahead of her. What she lacks is the ability to close the deal. At Turtle Bay earlier this year, she finished 2nd and might have won but she has not developed the finishing attitude, that say a young Eldrick Woods had/has.

I saw Tessa Teachman start, then pick up and leave the Rochester Wegman's LPGA in June. She doesn't have it yet either and nowhere near the talent of Michelle. Once Michelle picks up her putting, she will be untouchable. Her future is with the LPGA, not against the men. Had she made it to Augusta, which would not have happened in the first place, but had she would have been gone after Friday. Augusta has proven time and time again that they do not care about what the public wants or cares about. Remember, this are the people who had enough many to not accept advertising dollars in 2003.

Women's golf has a bright future ahead of itself. There are plenty of young, tv-friendly talent. Hello Natalie Gulbis! Oh and for the record, the Publinx champ has been invited to play in the Masters. An invite is not the same as an automatic bid. The PGA doesn't even have governance over the Masters. Augusta uses their own officials (some of which are over in Scotland this week). The Masters is an event unto itself and that is the way they like it. Woman do play at Augusta National, but none are members and none have played in the Masters.

The irony of this all is that the course sits amongst strip malls and seedy motels on the outskirts of Augusta, GA.

[laxfan25]

The irony of this all is that the course sits amongst strip malls and seedy motels on the outskirts of Augusta, GA.

I think you're confusing AUGUSTANA Country Club with Augusta National Country Club. Easy to get the two confused. Once you step inside the fence though it is a different world.
While the PubLinx winner is invited, not an automatic, I think if Michelle had won and Hootie had spurned her it would have drawn 10 times as much criticism as when they had the Martha Burk imbroglio. Even the pros she plays with recognize she's got the skills to compete.
The comparison with Eldrick is interesting, because we really didn't see him on the national stage much until he starting winning the three US Amateurs in a row (after winning 3 Jr.s). It would be an interestng matchup if they were both the same age.

[KnoxVegas]

For the record, Augusta National Golf Club sits in a part of Augusta, GA that I am sure at one point was quite idyllic but now it is an overgrown strip mall. Think the Strip in Panama City, without the beach. I have been there several times and find it amazing that the networks and Augusta Natonal, itself, have been able to foster this image of a hallowed ground, which the grounds certainly are, that is set amongst chain restaurants, second-rate hotels and cheesy tourist shops.

I invite you to go to Google and find Augusta National on the satellite map. You will see what I mean. Upper middle class homes on one side of the club, Panama City on the other.

If you ever want to see how beautiful the campus of Augustana College is, please let us know. We can schedule you for a visit and show you all that Augie has to offer the student athlete and why Augustana College is known as "The Cradle of CEOs.". For more info on Augustana, please click on the following link:
http://augustana.edu

[laxfan25]

I just remember that one of the distignuished alumni is Dan Pastorini if I'm not mistaken. That's a piece of long-buried trivia, but am I corrrect?

[KnoxVegas]

Dan Pastorini, former NFL player and noted NHRA car owner, attended Santa Clara University. For more on him, please see the following link:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6736336

I believe that you were thinking of Ken Anderson, former Bengals' QB and Augustana graduate.

[KerrLax]

She's definately the biggest 15 year old girl I've ever seen, but onto the point of this post. Go find some pictures of Natalie Gulbis...that's the future of women's golf. Michelle Wie who?

[KnoxVegas]

Gulbis is the Anna Kornikova of the LPGA.