CBS Sportsline’s Steve Elling chimes in on the controversy over Michelle Wie’s withdrawal from the Ginn Tribute presented by Annika Sorenstam.
Elling repeats the now-general suspicion that she withdrew when she realized that she would run afoul of the “88” rule. But there’s also a very interesting quote from Annika Sorenstam, who personally gave Wie the exemption in the first place.
“I just feel that there’s a little bit of lack of respect and class just to leave a tournament like that, and then come out and practice here, especially (with me) being the hostess,” said Sorenstam on Tuesday, in uncharacteristically blunt fashion. “You know, I don’t know the situation, if it’s an injury or whatever it is. It’s just … it just seemed really weird.”
What Annika is talking about is that just days after withdrawing from Annika’s tournament, Wie was practicing for, and intending to play in the LPGA Championship:
She practiced Saturday, 1½ days later. Monday, she played in a pro-am outing in Maryland, where a sports trainer rubbed her wrist before the round. Curiously, it wasn’t the left wrist she’d reportedly broken over the winter—it was the wrist on her right hand.
I really think that this one is going to haunt her for a long time. Or at least until she finally wins a tournament.
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This is a load of poop on Wie and the LPGA’s part. I feel sorry for her on a personal level because her parents and management are really doing her a disservice by allowing her to act and embarass herself in this way. ON the other hand the fact that she probably made more in the first 6 months of this year than I will make in the rest of my life, prohibit me from feeling too bad for her. She gets to be paid enormously to play multiple times a week if she wants the game that I wish I had the resources (time) to play 3-4 times a week (I would like to walk 9 every morning if I could).
The fact that an amatuer with a heart defect carded an 89, and Wie couldn’t finish with her wrist is just sad. The fifteen year old is clearly the one who should be allowed to continue playing events if she can.
And Wie should never be out playing this week. If she is going to pull BS on everyone then she needs to keep a low profile for at least a couple weeks and keep it quiet that she is actually playing and practicing. Don’t disrespect the game, the fans and you fellow pros by pulling this crap.
On a more legit twisted wrist story, Phil backed out of the Memphis PGA event yesterday. I predicted this would be the case last week, and I also predict, he is going to have trouble next week too—and for him, I actually do feel bad. I am bringing my camera to work the next couple days and will set up a tripod down the hall from my cube to try and get some pics of these pros as they putt on #5 and tee off on #6, and I wish that Phil had been one of them. I don’t like him too much, but it would be cool to have have some pics of him while he was here.
Now that’s some controversy…What do you think Wie is going to do?
Phil didn’t even make it to town. I was out in our smoking area checking out the Pro-Am players as they came by the tee box for #6. I forgot the rule about cameras. Our walking path is within 15 feet of the pro tee box, and would be a great place for a camera as I don’t think anyone would get between the player and the camera. The one issue with Phil would be since he plays on the wrong side of the ball, it would have been an ass shot during his swing.
However, all along one wall of the second floor it has a very good view of the tee box, and with a 300mm lens I should get some great pictures tomorrow. Daly should be by at around 9:40 or so, and Vijay is 2 groups behind.
Speaking of Phil playing on the wrong side of the ball, my wife and I think that our daughter will probably end up doing that. She has a decent stance for putting, but she sets up lefty and we cannot get her to change. When she moves from plastic clubs to actual metal heads, I think I will have to go the lefty route, even though she is right handed for everything else.
Here are the pics from today at the SSJC:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91564161@N00/sets/72157600324551840/