Wie out of her element in men’s pro events
FARMINGTON – It’s the year 2016. Arnold Schwarzenegger is president, U.S. Secretary of State Lynn Swann has negotiated a temporary truce in the Middle East, and Brittany Spears is working on baby No. 8, but with whom, the National Enquirer isn’t quite sure. Michelle Wie, now 26, has just made the cut in a PGA Tour event, snapping an 0-for-21 streak.
Needing to hole out from 198 yards on the 18th green at Mystic Rock, Wie advances to the third round of the Fat Bird Open when her approach caroms off the head of a pewter statue of herself just to the left of the green, bounces twice and rolls 45 yards before coming to rest in the bottom of the cup.
Most of the U.S. misses the feat, however, when ESPN3 preempts its tournament coverage to switch to the pregame show for Game 1 of the World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
OK, enough.
Dream over.
The reality is Wie’s streak of missing PGA Tour cuts has now reached six. She stood at 5-over-par Thursday after the first round of the 84 Lumber Classic, then took four bogeys and one double-bogey over her first six holes Friday on the way to a 9-over-par 81.
This left Wie at the bottom of the field and had the late Babe Zaharias, the only female in the past 61 years to make a cut in a PGA Tour event, doing a 180.
Wie’s last two attempts to qualify in a men’s tournament have failed miserably. A week ago, at the Omega European Masters, Wie parlayed rounds of 78-79 into a 15-over-par effort, 14 strokes off the cut.
This week, Wie took a royal beating on a long, waterlogged Mystic Rock, limping off the course 14 shots over par.
Despite her recent lackluster play, Wie remains upbeat. What she has lacked in game the past two weeks, she more than makes up for in confidence.
“I just had a bad two weeks, that’s it,” Wie said following Friday’s round. “It’s no more, it’s no less. I just had a bad two weeks. I feel like my game is getting better and better over the last few weeks.
“Nothing has changed. These two weeks I took a lot of positives. I’m not going to give up.”
Wie’s talent isn’t in question. At 16-years-old, she is one of the best female golfers on the planet. Wie has proved this season she can consistently compete at a high level of play on the LPGA Tour, finishing in a tie for third place in both the U.S. Women’s Open and the Kraft Nabisco Championship, and a tie for fifth place in the LPGA Championship.
It’s not a matter of whether or not Wie will win, and win often, on the LPGA Tour. It’s just a matter of when.
What should be questioned is her decision and desire to compete against men, and what, if anything, is she gaining from the experience.
Should Wie make the cut in a PGA Tour event in the recent future, what will she prove? That she needs to play two perfect rounds of golf to still rank behind 70 or so other golfers after two rounds?
It’s not probable, but it’s not impossible either to think the lowest-ranked male playing in a PGA Tour event has a chance of winning on any given week.
Whereas, Wie may some day actually make a cut and finish a PGA Tour event, but she will never win one.
Sponsors will keep extending invitations to Wie to play men’s events. She is a cash cow, selling tickets and drawing fans of all ages to the course, even on days like Friday when frogs could be seen wearing wet suits.
Wie will continue to grab headlines as well, even with efforts like those of the past two weeks. Nicholas Thompson fired an 8-under-par 64 on Thursday, yet Wie’s 5-over-par got more TV coverage.
Three years ago, Annika Sorenstam took at shot at making the cut in a PGA Tour event at the Colonial. Sorenstam was in her prime, and wound up shooting a respectable 5-over-par after two rounds, missing the cut by four strokes.
Afterwards, she spoke quite humbly.
“It was a great week, but I’ve got to go back to my tour, where I belong,” she said. “I’m glad I did it, but this is way over my head.”
Wie could take a lesson or two from Sorenstam, both on the course and off. She will be able to play a full LPGA schedule when she turns 18, and the most important thing for Wie at this point is to learn how to win.
Off the course, she needs to be more realistic about what she is actually accomplishing or not accomplishing playing in men’s events.
On Friday, only Lee Janzen matched Wie’s futility, also shooting an 81. But again, as was the case after her round Thursday, Wie wasn’t in as bad of a mood as would be expected.
“Well, I made one birdie today, which is one more than the tournament before,” she said. “My irons are … they feel a lot more solid. You know, I didn’t feel like it was actually that bad because I felt like my game was 100 times better than last week. I felt that my shots were 100 times better than last week.
“So I feel like I’m progressing, I’m getting better, even though my score didn’t show it. Even though I had a bad two weeks, I have a clear idea of what I have to work on now. Obviously, everyone knows my ultimate goal is play in the Masters. Who knows what’s going to happen. But obviously, my goal is to compete with the boys.”
If things keep going the way they have the past two weeks, Wie might find herself having a hard time competing with the girls.
Dave Stofcheck can be reached at dstofcheck@heraldstandard.com