There's a Reason Michelle Wie Continues to Get PGA Tour Sponsor's Exemptions

Posted Jul 30, 2008 11:05AM By Ryan Wilson (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Golf, LPGA, PGA

The public perception is that everybody hates Michelle Wie. Or, at the very least, her insistence on accepting PGA Tour sponsor's exemptions even though her play has yet to warrant them, which, apparently, is, off-putting for her male and female competitors.

The thing is, if Wie wasn't wildly popular (in a circus freak show sorta way, sure ... but still), tournaments would quit asking her to play. Waggle Room does a splendid job of explaining why, exactly, Wie gets PGA Tour invites and the rest of us don't.

* In the Monday First Tee clinic yesterday in Reno, the three tour professionals participating were ... two old guys, plus Wie (Jay Delsing and Steve Pate, to be exact). The tournament is putting Wie out front.

* On the PGATour.com tournament site on Monday, the main photo and headline were of Wie. Today, the main photo and headline have switched to Nick Flanagan, but three of the four sub-heads are about Wie.

* And according to a report in Sports Business Journal (subscription only), PGATour.com will devote more attention to Wie during tournament play (the first two rounds, at least) than the Web site has devoted to any individual player not named Tiger Woods:

(For the record, I'd much rather watch Wie hit high draws and low fades than either Jay Delsing or Steve Pate.)

I think Annika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer make legit points, but until they win custody rights away from B.J. Wie, I suspect we'll see more of this. At least until the public tires of Michelle, she's tossed on the Jennifer Capriati Memorial Scrap Heap, and we all get on with our lives.

Except, Wie, who will be left to wonder where it all went wrong (hello, daddy issues!).

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-30-2008 @ 9:16PM

Scott said...

Best thing that ever happened to LPGA since Babe Zaharius.
PGA should make her qualify before allowing sponsorships.

7-30-2008 @ 10:28PM

Dennis said...

The public should stop watching any PGA tour that includes Wie.

7-31-2008 @ 1:41PM

Rich said...

I agree it's like a freak show. There are many younger players who are better and more professional. Shame on the PGA and sponsor for allowing her to play, while many more qualified players don't get these exemptions, even though they're busting their butts every week for the opportunity. Cheers to the LPGA for setting the record straight!! Jeers to the moron who tries to justify Wie's participation.

8-01-2008 @ 10:36AM

Ron said...

Granted, no male wants a female playing on the PGA Event. Also, no one really wants to watch the PGA with Tiger out, no competition. Tournaments ask Wie to play to bring in a crowd, not because of her golf skills, but her draw power. Even the Golf Commentators stated of the large crowd, mostly to see Wie. I, for one, would like to see her excel on the LPGA Tour first. But if you look at the first day's scores, there are a lot of PGA players posting worse scores than Wie and maybe they should think about whether playing the PGA Tour. Most people have a detailed plan of what they want to do to obtain the #1 ranking, but I feel Wie's corner has not thought this out and she is going about her career without focus. She has a lot of talent and needs a lot of coaching. Her gane is good for a weekend player but not the Tour.

8-01-2008 @ 12:22PM

C ROZZ said...

I agree 100% she should have to earn her way to play in a PGA tour event. I boycott every tournament she plays in hoping they finally get smart and make her win something on the women's tour before she can even have a shot at the men. It a freakshow, if this is how the tour gets their ratings they are in trouble because I know I am not the only one fed up with this.

8-03-2008 @ 6:48AM

Charles said...

Misses the cut - AGAIN! Of course that comes to no surprise to all of us that are sickened by the bufoonery that is Michelle Wie and the unscrupulous PGA sponsors whom exempt her! I am still drawn to golf because I feel (or felt) that it was the one sport that still honored respectable values like hard work, integrity, courtesy, responsibility and judgement - much of what has been clouded by this Wie debacle. YES - MANY OF US ARE TIRED AND FED UP! Please, let's uphold a higher standard and not fold to the unprincipled masses that are more concerned with the superficial gains of popularity through ratings from controversy and sponsorship dollars but, let's remember what golf is supposed to represent! The USGA/PGA should be embarrassed about the black eye it has received by Greg Norman's adulterous affair and Wie's lack of humility after missing her 8th cut - NOT celebrating it! Let's promote the exceptional few, not represent the mediocrity of many.