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)
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. 
