Prodigious female golfer Michelle Wie if anything is proving that she’s by no means ready yet to assume the mantle now held by Lorena Ochoa as the world’s number one female golfer. Ochoa in turn assumed the mantle from the legendary Annika Sorenstam.
Michelle Wie walks the ninth green during the third round of the State Farm Classic in Springfield , Illinois. Wie was made aware of her mistake as she ended the third round, having not signed her scorecard at the end of Friday’s second round. picture courtesy of ap/photo/Seth Perlman ………………..
So it should come as no surprise that Wie was disqualified from the current LPGA Tour event the State Farm Classic in Springfield , Illinois. What also is becoming apparent is that Wie somehow thinks that one can flout the rules of a game that’s built around etiquette and abiding by the rules and bye laws of the game. Leading the tournament with -12 under par after the second round. Wie inexplicably failed to sign her scorecard having left the players’ tent at the Panther Creek Country clubhouse of the event.
Wie speaks to the press after finding out that she’d been disqualified on Saturday afternoon having finished the third round of the State Farm Bureau Classic in Springfield , Illinois. picture courtesy of ap/photo/ Lee Milner ……………..
This has been the second time that Wie has suffered the indignity of a being disqualified from an LPGA tournament. She’d been disqualified once before in her professional debut at the Samsung World Championship of golf event in 2005. Her mistake was to take an improper drop. Golf prides itself on its members knowing the rules and abiding by them. However in Wie’s case she either appears to be oblivious to them or she just doesn’t seem to feel that the appropriate behavior is required of her when it comes to the game. Some might say that there’s a degree of jealousy that surrounds Wie and the fact that she’s been lauded as the next big thing on the LPGA Tour. To date however Wie hasn’t been able to produce the success that many feel that she’s capable of achieving. She’s yet to win on the LPGA Tour. And despite her high profiled visibility on the tour , many of the highlights of her career has encapsulated by marked controversy.
Wie attempts a bridie putt during the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2006. picture courtesy of ap/photo………………..
Wie and what this says about her persona leaves the LPGA Tour in need of some vibrancy. Ochoa has proved that she’s capable of being the pre-eminent female player this generation. But even she has to be seeking some form of competition on the tour from another female player capable of challenging her dominance on the LPGA Tour. The likes of Natalie Gulbis, Morgan Pressel, Grace Park, In Bee Park and many of the North Korean female players that seem to be propping up on the leaderboard at what’d appear to be every other event, seems to be the norm at present. If the game is to survive with an avid following then Wie must prove that she’s capable of playing with the best of what the LPGA has to offer.
The ominous drop that said it all , Wie and the first of what has been two disqualifications that has set Wie’s career in somewhat of a tailspin. picture courtesy of getty images/ Scott Halleran ……………………..
With this incident now befalling Wie in competition one has to wonder what else can go wrong with her at this juncture that won’t create a stir on the LPGA Tour ? With each passing incident it can only be a matter of time before many will begin to consider whether or not Michelle Wie just a phenom whose yet to live up to her potential . Or indeed just another put upon self absorbed young athlete who can no longer handle real adversity when it comes their way. When so much is foisted upon someone with such a prodigious talent. It can only be matter of time before we’re able to assess whether or not they’re capable of proving themselves at all. Though now playing the LPGA Tour only part time while she attends Stanford University. Many of Wie’s obligations with regard to playing on the tour will come through sponsorship exemptions or through the schedule that has been set up for her by agent. Wie’s still an attraction on the LPGA Tour but for how long will the fans be willing witness much to their chagrin, her lackluster performances thus far. It’s a learning process but it’d appear that the learing curve hasn’t yet reached its peak for Wie.
abritishman ……………………….
