The first major for the 2007 LPGA finished yesterday with its youngest winner ever. No it was not Michelle Wie because she was at home nursing a sore wrist. Of course that is just one of her many excuses which continue to grow faster and longer than Pinocchio’s nose. Last year she pulled out of the John Deere Classic when it become evident she would miss the cut. Her excuse was “heat stroke” when the temperature was a mild 87 degrees. Never mind the fact that she had not even played two holes when her symptoms began to set in leading up to her eventual withdrawal on hole number 9. The facts are that she shot a 77 to open her tournament, one stroke away from the highest score and on hole number 2 she bogeyed to go into last place. She double bogeyed number 9 and then called it quits. In all my days of playing golf, heat exhaustion never set in on the second hole much less for a trained athlete who knows all about hydration. The pull out was an excuse, but I digress.
The winner was Morgan Pressel who is beginning her first full year as a professional after having petitioned the LPGA to let her enter as a 17 year old. The difference between Pressel and her counterpart Wie is much more than the 8 inches Morgan gives up to Michelle; rather Pressel is a winner and Wie is a loser. I am not talking about in endorsement money because in that regard Wie is clearly the victor, but in terms of wins Pressel won 11 times as an amateur. Unlike Wie who won once as a 12 year old, Pressel won in every major women’s amateur event before turning pro. This is the key to why Morgan will have a successful professional career and why I think Wie will continue to struggle. Morgan knows how to win. She knows what the pressure feels like and honed her skill against her peers before coming out and attacking the ladies. On the other hand, Wie won one tournament as a young lady and thought she could then take on the world. It is not entirely her fault, because her parents and handlers convinced her she was ready for the pros. Not only did they push her to compete on the LPGA, but before ever winning one tournament they convinced her she could compete with the men too! Talk about balls, if Wie were a man she would have a huge pair. Fortunately for the other ladies on the LPGA, Michelle has been castrated.
With her confidence all but eroded by playing against the men, she has become an afterthought on the tee box. There is no intimidation factor when she tees it up. She may be able to compete, but no one is afraid of her. Her counterpart on the men’s tour, Tiger Woods, got it right. Like Pressel, he won at every level before turning pro. The PGA tour men were shaking in their boots when he arrived and they haven’t stopped yet. Too bad for Wie, because she is the only one shaking on the tee box as she watches the youngest female winner in a LPGA Major. Congratulations Morgan!
(Wie is jealous because Morgan is holding something she has never felt, the 2005 US Women's Amateur trophy)
FYI, Heat Exhaustion was the official terminology. The rumor on that day was heat stroke but no sound doctor would diagnose heat stroke so they came up with "heat exhaustion". Never knew anyone to get exhausted playing golf with someone else carring your clubs, wiping your balls, and giving you water at every hole.
This is awesome. They don't call it exhaustion Socal.....it's called humility. Wei is a has been and needs to work hard to be a somebody again as far as I'm concerned. She ran up the steps before the carpenter was finished nailing the lumber down. Huge congrats to Pressel; she's a winner! Nice job.
Good post, I agree Wie is overhyped and getting pushed on the mens tour is a joke. I think I recall seeing an article about Morgan Pressel and her mom having cancer, is this the same girl? Congrats to her either way.
Good one Socal. I think we all knew that Wie was going to eventually phase out...although it is a shame. No doubt she has all the talent in the world. However, she has bad advice...and makes bad decisions. You can have all the talent in the world...but if you can't make sound decisions, it's nothing but a waste.
I am elated that Morgan won before Wie. And my hope is that all the attention will now go Pressel's way...to include the endorsments. Wie is still waaaaaay young...and can pull herself out of this funk. Unfortunately for her, her counterpart just called her bluff. WAY TO GO MORGAN!!!
Sounds about right to me. Good post. Include Wie's abosulte LAST PLACE finish in last year's European Men's Masters tourney, and you start seeing a pattern. Pressel is a playa!
I think trying to compete with the men has adversly affected Wie's game. she should concentrate on trying to win a couple of LPGA events first. Stop trying to beat the men Michelle and make me a sandwich.
Magic, not certain her mom has cancer, but either way she is a fighter.
Fat, Wie was over hyped, but had her advisers handled her wisely, she might have been the female equivalent to Tiger. In my book, Morgan is out too young too. Tiger at least went to college for a few years and whooped those boys too. Can't blame Morgan, at least she won 11 amateur titles first, then came out.
Baf, I forgot about the European Masters. What is so funny is that every announcer keeps reminding us that Wie made the cut agains the men on the Asian Tour, but they leave out the Asian part implying it was a PGA event. Sad thing is Park made that cut two years before Wie and no one cared.
54, absolutely, she should play against the women only. Trouble is, she does not have her PGA card just yet, so she plays in every event she can including the mens. She only has so many she can play in until she gets that card.
SoCal ....We're now liable to see Pressel usurp Wie as being the real young phenom amongst the young female players out there. Wie will prove no doubt to be fascinating for the time being but as Pressel becomes more confident and successful. Wie will hopefully just become an afterthought or a pure coffee table subject to be talked about. ...........The usual offering it's hoped will be ........ Whatever happened to that young Asian American phenom ? What's her name ? .......... Things of that ilk will probably purvey for a time or two.
Wie is overhyped and soon will be done !
She'll burn out faster than Tracy Austin, Andrea Jaeger and Carling Bassett. Those were supposedly going to be the three youyng phenoms that'd rule the roost of women's tennis for years to come during the late eighties and early nineties. Oh yeh and where are they now ? Who the hell knows ?
ramp, Tracy Austin had game. She was involved in an automobile accident that nearly killed her and ruined her back. She was the real deal, but sadly we never got a chance to see. Then of course there was Capriati, who let drugs ruin a potential phenom. But in golf, while Pressel will be the hot talk, don't let anyone fool you, Ochoa is the next great women's player.
Wie makes me think of Todd Marinovich. Lots of parallels. Golf is a mental game, and Wie is a long ways from being tough enough. Don't know how much of the blame is hers and how much is the bad advice she (apparently) is getting.
SoCal ......... At this moment in time the women's golf game is far more competitive than that of the men's game. With the emergernce of Ochoa and Pressel we're liable to see more of a challenge to Sorenstam overall ! Unfortunately the same can't be said of the men's game as most of the guys seems to be either in awe or intimidated by Tiger Woods. And for the time being Wie will remain an enigma until she wins something or just flame out !
More likely than not if Woods is in the mood he'll win his 5th Green Jacket at the upcoming Masters. What's to stop him from doing that as he's on top of his game at the moment ?
The first major for the 2007 LPGA finished yesterday with its youngest winner ever. No it was not Michelle Wie because she was at home nursing a sore wrist. Of course that is just one of her many excuses which continue to grow faster and longer than Pinocchio’s nose. Last year she pulled out of the John Deere Classic when it become evident she would miss the cut. Her excuse was “heat stroke” when the temperature was a mild 87 degrees. Never mind the fact that she had not even played two holes when her symptoms began to set in leading up to her eventual withdrawal on hole number 9. The facts are that she shot a 77 to open her tournament, one stroke away from the highest score and on hole number 2 she bogeyed to go into last place. She double bogeyed number 9 and then called it quits. In all my days of playing golf, heat exhaustion never set in on the second hole much less for a trained athlete who knows all about hydration. The pull out was an excuse, but I digress. 
The winner was Morgan Pressel who is beginning her first full year as a professional after having petitioned the LPGA to let her enter as a 17 year old. The difference between Pressel and her counterpart Wie is much more than the 8 inches Morgan gives up to Michelle; rather Pressel is a winner and Wie is a loser. I am not talking about in endorsement money because in that regard Wie is clearly the victor, but in terms of wins Pressel won 11 times as an amateur. Unlike Wie who won once as a 12 year old, Pressel won in every major women’s amateur event before turning pro. This is the key to why Morgan will have a successful professional career and why I think Wie will continue to struggle. Morgan knows how to win. She knows what the pressure feels like and honed her skill against her peers before coming out and attacking the ladies. On the other hand, Wie won one tournament as a young lady and thought she could then take on the world. It is not entirely her fault, because her parents and handlers convinced her she was ready for the pros. Not only did they push her to compete on the LPGA, but before ever winning one tournament they convinced her she could compete with the men too! Talk about balls, if Wie were a man she would have a huge pair. 
Fortunately for the other ladies on the LPGA, Michelle has been castrated. 
