Citing recovery from her wrist injury, Michelle Wie has decided to pass on a sponsors exemption for next month’s John Deere Classic.
At the risk of sounding snarky, I hope that this means that an adult finally has taken control of Team Wie. She has no business playing at the Deere after her recent on course embarrassments.
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Well, it could actually be legitimate. It is quite possible that Michelle and her family have been ignoring and misreprenting that the injury is still there from 6 months ago not fully healed from continuing practice and play, or she may very well have reinjured it in the last few weeks.
Or, and I would put this 50/50 with the above, other Nike pros and/or Nike customers have spoken about Wie’s performance. Did Nike jump the gun in signing Wie? When was the last time (other than Spike Lee), that Nike put so much sponsorship on someone who has not won anything?
Sure, Adidas & TaylorMade & Winn can put Gulbis, Daly, & Harmon in their commercials and they don’t win either—but Daly has won, and Gulbis is a top performer, and they all three have personality. But, for Nike, who has associated so closely with Jordan and Woods, to put Michelle in a place where she is almost #3 on their list – does that project the image Nike wants? Wouldn’t they be better off going after even someone who is not photogenic like Sorenstam, but has a personality and is a performer? Or Creamer, or Kerr? Or best yet- Nike should be putting Ochoa on everything, she actually has a body like the average woman golfer (ok, probably a little more petite than the average one)- and she is a winner.
The time will come for Wie at some point, and Nike probably should pay her something to retain her, but she needs to climb the ladder now—she has pretty much fallen on her face from trying to jump to the top.