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She edged Paula Creamer by two shots. Wie opened the final round tied for the lead with Cristie Kerr.
Wie birdied two of the first three holes and was never out of the lead. At some point during the final round, both Creamer and Kerr tied Wie for the lead but fell back. Creamer’s bogey at 17 was particularly critical.
Wie closed out her win with a birdie on 18.
Jiyai Shin after entering the weekend with a 3-shot lead, finished 74-71 and ended the tournament in a 3-way tie for 3rd with Kerr and Morgan Pressel.
Lorena Ochoa finished sixth. While Shin widened her lead for POY it is still a very much open race. Ochoa can still take the title and doesn’t necessarily need a win. Kerr can do it with a win if Ochoa and Shin both finish out of the top 10 in next week’s tour championship.
I won’t mention what Wie’s victory ended. The golf media has only been hammering it over our heads for the last few months. Then some members of the media and the American public look at Wie or Asians as lesser Americans. I won’t get into that stupid subject unless one of those culprits then make hay of Wie’s win as a American triumph.
The next few days are sure to see a deluge of articles about how big the win was for both Wie and the LPGA. Wie’s critics can’t separate the fact that the LPGA’s future success or even survival may be riding on this woman’s back. What other female golfer excites fans and brings them to tournaments? It ain’t Ochoa, Shin, or even Kerr and Creamer.
Her margin of victory at the SBS Open was three shots. Michelle Wie finished a clear 2nd.
This was Angela’s third win in her last seven LPGA starts. An argument can be made for her as the hottest golfer performance wise on tour at the moment.
Michelle had a 3-shot lead with eight holes to go. She was in part done in by a bad tee shot on 11 that led to a double bogey. Some of Wie’s detractors will say she choked yesterday, I don’t think she did. Here’s why.
Angela Stanford played the last eight holes three under par in tough conditions, Wie played them in three over. Like many other players in the field, she struggled.
I’m sticking to my prediction- That Wie will be in the LPGA winner’s circle by year end. I may have underranked Stanford too. We have 9 more months of golf to find out if I am right.
With 10 holes to go, Michelle Wie has a one shot lead over Angela Stanford. Stanford is in trouble on the par 5 9th hole. A two-shot swing could soon see Wie up by three.
The SBS Open isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination. I want to just something on record. If Wie wins today, expect to see a slew of articles about her breakthrough and how she could be the LPGA’s savior as the tour struggles in difficult economic times.
Honestly Michelle could save the LPGA. She is talented on the course and brings in people to watch tournaments she plays in. No one on the LPGA has her drawing ability with the public. Not Ochoa, Not Annika. No one in professional golf in the US except Tiger Woods.
I expect to see Johnny come latelies to start appearing next week.Some past critics will suddenly be singing her praises. I predicted Michelle in the top 10 money winners this year and make the Solheim Cup team. Her upside is, she could challenge Ochoa, Shin, Creamer, and Tseng for #1 on the money list. You heard it here first.
Update- Stanford holed a long putt for par. Wie made birdie and now she is up by two with two holes to go.
The US Women’s professional golf circuit tees it up for the first time at the SBS Open in Hawaii. The 2008 event was won by Annika Sorenstam who has since stepped away from the game. Also not in the field is World #1 ranked player Lorena Ochoa. The SBS field is strong however with Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen, and Ji-Yai Shin. Shin who won the final LPGA event of 2008, the ADT Championship, looks to begin where she left off.
So another LPGA season is about to underway. A slimmer one than the 2008 schedule, with the loss of quite a few tournaments. The 2010 schedule is looking rough already, with the SBS Open already down as history.
Some off the course news, the LPGA signed a 10-year deal with the Golf Channel. This is great news for the tour.
As much that news sounds interesting, I prefer talking about what goes on during tournaments than all off the course distractions. Here are my predictions for 2009
Player of the Year- Ji Yai Shin. Shin is ranked #5 in the world and has 26 professional wins at age 20. Last year she won 3 LPGA titles, including a major championship. She has a unflappable personality on course, and I personally think she’ll top Ochoa this year. Golf blogger Mulligan Stu is on board the Shin Express also.
Ochoa won’t lose the money title by much and will retain #1 ranking in the world.
Rookie of the Year- Shin. The 2009 LPGA rookie class is incredible with Shin, Vicki Hurst, Michelle Wie, Stacy Lewis, and a few more could have immediate impact. Shin however is going to win the ROY title in a runaway.
Comeback of the Year- Brittany Lincicome. If she is healthy, I see her returning to her 2007 form.
The come out of nowhere award- Amy Yang. She shouldn’t really be a contender for this, but even my LPGA golf buddies Hound Dog, The Contstructivist, and Ryan are not paying any attention to this golfer’s chances in 2009, so why would the golf media. Yang won twice on the LET last year and I’ll go out on a limb by putting her in the top 5 players for 2009. More on that later.
1st time winners for 2009- Wie, V Hurst, Yang, Angela Park
How many times will naturalized US citizen Angela Park be mislabeled as South Korean by the golf media in 2009- At least two times
The 2009 Solheim Cup matches- US wins 16-12
The 2009 US Solheim Cup qualifiers- Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford, Wie, Hurst, Christina Kim, Morgan Pressel, Nicole Castrale, Brittany Lang, and Stacy Prammanasudh
Beth Daniel’s Captain’s selections- Two potted plants Juli Inkster and Natalie Gulbis. Any Asian American golfer if they want to play in the matches, should only plan on making it via the points list. As I pointed out two years ago, the team’s Captains have done great gymnastic work in order to avoid selecting Asian golfers for the team, even if the criteria they used is in conflict with what they or past Captains have said or done.
So Wie, Hurst, Kim, Prammanasudh, Jane Park will have to make the team by performance. Daniel will pick potted plants for the US squad before choosing any of those talented ladies.
How many tournaments will the South Koreans win in 2009- Ten. Five by Shin. Plus at least two more from Wie, C Kim, and half Korean V Hurst.
How many members of the media will bemoan the Asian invasion- Three.
How many times will I say Carolyn Bivens should be fired before she gets fired the 2009 season ends- Three
How many LPGA writing related Knucklehead awards will I give out in 2009- Five, starting with this guy.
How many times I will be a credentialed member of the LPGA media in 2009- Zero
How many times will I apply- Zero because the LPGA has left the building so far as Florida goes.
2009 Major Champions- I hate picking way in advance, but I’ll go out on a limb. Shin(US), Ochoa(Kraft Nabisco), Creamer(LPGA), and someone else. Ok, that’s 3 out of 4. My crystal ball is not working too well at the moment. Put me down for Hee Won Han at the British Open.
Miscellaneous predictions-
Katherine Hull will take over as Australia’s #1 golfer from Karrie Webb
Se Ri Pak will win the Jamie Farr Classic for a record breaking sixth time
The Korean LPGA tour stop curse aka No winner of the tournament since 2003 has won a LPGA event afterwards, will finally be broken with Suzann Pettersen taking home a LPGA win in 2009
Now for my my top 30, I’ll put it beneath the fold
1 Shin JY
2 Ochoa
3 Yang
4 Creamer
5 SH Lee
6 Hull
7 Tseng
8 V Hurst
9 Pettersen
10 Wie
11 Han
12 Jang
13 Kerr
14 A Park
15 Stanford
16 Webb
17 JY Lee
18 EH Ji
19 Feng
20 Castrale
21 Lewis
22 IK Kim
23 Prammanasudh
24 Pak
25 Pressel
26 C Kim
27 MH Kim
28 Stupples
29 NY Choi
30 Lincicome
We’ll come back at the end of the year and see how I did.
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Michelle Wie finished 7th at LPGA Qualifying school. From AP-
Michelle Wie has earned a spot on the LPGA Tour.
The 19-year-old from Hawaii overcame a miserable start Sunday with a safe finish for a 2-over 74 that had her comfortably among the top 20 at the LPGA qualifying tournament.
Wie has been playing mostly on sponsor exemptions for the last seven years, when she became a sensation for her youth and power, and her unsuccessful quest to compete against the men.
Wie tied for seventh and now takes her place as part of the 2009 rookie class, along with Q-school medalist Stacy Lewis, who birdied the last two holes for a 3-under 69 for a three-shot victory at LPGA International in Daytona Beach.
I’m going out on a limb and predict Michelle both wins an LPGA Tour event and makes the 2009 Solheim Cup team.
They finished tied for fourth in the first stage of qualifying for a LPGA Tour card.
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Michelle Wie breezed through the final round of an LPGA Tour sectional qualifying tournament on a scorching Friday in the desert, shooting a steady 1-under 71 to tie for fourth.
Completing the first step toward earning her tour card, she was 8 under after 72 holes. The 18-year-old Stanford student needed only to finish in the top 30 to advance to final qualifying tournament in Florida in December.
*****
Stacy Lewis, who tied for third at the U.S. Women’s Open this summer, shot a closing 69 in the qualifying tournament to tie Wie and Japan’s Shiho Oyama (70) at 280, eight shots behind first-place finisher Sun-Ju Ahn of South Korea (68).
Anna Nordqvist of Sweden shot a 70 to wind up second at 274, and Miki Saiki of Japan had a 69 to finish third at 276.
Wie’s game looks to be in recovery mode. I think she will earn full LPGA playing privileges in December, as should Stacy Lewis and probably Ahn also.
According to Golfweek, Wie has mailed in the application that is the first step in her quest to join the Ladies golf tour on a full-time basis.
Michelle Wie’s latest move is one most folks can agree on: As first reported by Golfweek she’s headed to LPGA Qualifying School.
The application deadline is 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9, and multiple sources confirmed with Golfweek last week that Wie’s check was in the mail.
Wie, who turns 19 on Oct. 11, has been spotted in Rancho Mirage, Calif., gearing up for the first sectional qualifier, Sept. 16-19 at Mission Hills Country Club, a course where she has enjoyed much success.
In four appearances at Mission Hills for the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Wie’s worst finish is a tie for 14th in 2005. She finished T-9 in ‘03, fourth in ‘04, and tied for third in ‘06, when she played in the final group as an eighth-grader.
“I think reality set in,” said Wie’s swing coach, David Leadbetter, when reached by phone Sept. 9. “She needs to play more tournaments. And not make those tournaments PGA Tour events. …
I agree with Leadbetter, Wie’s future is on the ladies tour, not competing against the men.
Rancho Mirage is only the first step to Michelle getting a LPGA Tour card, a second and final qualifier takes place in Daytona Beach Florida this December. I’m betting Michelle gets full LPGA privileges for 2009.
Another clueless idiot writing about golf. In an article about Michelle Wie playing in next week’s Reno-Tahoe Open, Hoggard exclaims-
If Reno officials wanted to be real creative, they could have offered the spot to Annika Sorenstam who made history a few years back at Colonial. She has a resume that would justify the offer, the respect of the other players in the field and even a vacation home close to Montreux.
Instead, with apologies to Wie, they went with the bearded lady.
Comparing Wie to a circus freak is really beneath most of Wie’s detractors. The real freaks are Hoggard and his employer Golfweek. If either had three brain cells working, they’d know Annika Sorenstam is only playing in a major championship the same time as the Reno tournament. The Women’s British Open. She is unavailable to play in Nevada.
If Hoggard answers the page, I’ll recommend he see a good proctologist. That in order to get his head out of his ass.
She will tee it up in next week’s Reno-Tahoe Open.
Fresh off a disqualification on the LPGA Tour, Michelle Wie has decided to tee it up against the men, again.
Wie will play next week in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, the first time she’ll play on the PGA Tour this year, tournament organizers said.
It will be her eighth time playing on the PGA Tour, and she has yet to make a cut. The only time Wie has made money playing against the men was on the Korean Tour, in 2006, at the SK Telcom Open.
*****
Wie, who is 18 and attends Stanford part time, has no status on any tour. She has only one sponsor’s exemption left this year. She will be playing her seventh and final LPGA Tour event of this year at the CN Canadian Women’s Open in August.
The Reno-Tahoe Open starts July 31 at Montreux Golf & Country Club. The Nevada tournament is one of the weakest fields on the PGA Tour, held opposite the World Golf Championship in Ohio. Steve Flesch won the Reno-Tahoe Open last year.
Opinion on Wie playing another Men’s event is mixed, but more unfavorable than favorable. Joe Logan calls it ‘Dumb, dumb, dumb, Ryan at GNN is incredulous, but Golf blogger The Constructivist
says in a comment to Ryan’s post “Dealing with the pressure of playing with the PGA’s 2nd tier should be good preparation for the CO the following week. Sorenstam has indicated she learned about pressure and the game from playing at Colonial–why can’t Wie do the same?”
I’ve been critical of Michelle playing in men’s tournaments before, mostly because she was playing horribly. That she would be just another on the men’s tour. I still stick to those opinions, but what is the harm of her playing in Tahoe? As I see it, very little to none if all Michelle sees this is as an opportunity to work on her game right now.
For leaving the scoring area after Friday’s round without signing her scorecard. From ESPN-
Michelle Wie finished the third round of the State Farm Classic alone in second on Saturday — then was disqualified for failing to immediately sign her scorecard a day earlier.
Wie was playing her best golf of the year, finishing off a 5-under 67 to get to 17 under for the tournament, one stroke back of Yani Tseng.
That’s when Wie was disqualified by LPGA officials, who said they’d learned during play Saturday from tournament volunteers about the 18-year-old’s mistake.
It is reported Wie was crying after the news. I would be too. She was one shot out of the lead, with a win and LPGA Tour card within her grasp tomorrow.
Here’s the rule
According to a statement released Saturday by the LPGA, Wie’s failure to sign her scorecard was a violation of Rule 6-6b, according to The Rules of Golf and confirmed by the USGA.
The rule states: “After completion of the round, the competitor should check his score for each hole and settle any doubtful points with the Committee. He must ensure that the marker or markers have signed the score card, sign the score card himself and return it to the Committee as soon as possible.”
Wie said that after she finished her round on Friday, she left the tent where players sign their scorecards and was chased down by some of the tournament volunteers working in the tent who pointed out she hadn’t signed.
Wie returned to the tent and signed the card.
Which isn’t allowed, and why Wie was disqualified. She made an honest mistake but one with huge reprucussions for her golf career at this point, and maybe even mentally. Can Michelle even buy a break right now? She was playing great golf in Illinois.
I also want to mention Hee Won Han’s 3rd round 61 which puts her three strokes behind Tseng. Hee Won, who teed off Number 10 to begin play today, was 10 under for the round through 12 holes! Han is a very consistent golfer, but seldom flashy. I saw how her round was going and despite my attention being mostly focused on the British Open, kept tabs on the State Farm. All Han had to do was play the last six holes in 3 under to shoot a record 59. It wasn’t to be, Han only made one birdie coming in.
Yani Tseng continues to have an incredible year. She won the LPGA Championship last month, Two second place finishes, 6th on the money list but a win tomorrow would move her to 4th, and is running away with Rookie of the Year. There is a new force on tour.
Also commenting on Michelle Wie’s disaster today- Mulligan Stu, Hound Dog, and The Constructivist. Stu and TC feel sorry for Michelle. I do too.
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