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  • Michelle Wie

    I don't even like golf. Heck, I barely know the difference between a birdie and a bogey. But I'm following Michelle Wie's progress nonetheless. Even my daughter has started paying attention (making my wife, who is hostile to golf, apoplectic).

    She always does very well, and still garners lots of attention (drawing the largest galleries, and even being cited by some smaller courses as making the difference between having a good or bad year), even though she tends to fall just short of expectations, and -- like any 15-year-old -- to fumble when the pressure's on.

    Even though she's been adamant about enjoying amateur life, dutifully turning down huge checks at big events, folks can't stop talking about when she'll go pro:
    The Orlando Sentinel reported last week that Golfweek magazine, in its July 23 issue, reported that rumors indicated that the Oct. 13 to 16 LPGA Samsung World Championship is "going to be Wie's professional debut." The Sentinel also reported the magazine saying that Wie was in line to sign a multi-year deal with Nike in the $10 million range. The Samsung tournament will begin two days after Wie's 16th birthday on Oct. 11.
    Is she ready? Should she simply strike while the iron is hot?

  • #2
    Re: Michelle Wie

    It's the same argument that's made about high school players and the NBA: what if the youngster suffers a possibly career-ending injury this month and hasn't cashed in?

    Fifteen is awfully young to be traveling around the country going to tournaments; I'd imagine the family would want to travel with her, and then what happens to the parents' careers?

    Tough choices.
    http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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    • #3
      Re: Michelle Wie

      I think her father is pushing her to live his dream. I often wonder how a professer who makes about 80 grand a year can pay for his child to zip around the world golfing and still afford Punahou. From what I hear( from people who follow golf) is that since she's not a pro yet , NIKE pays her father as a golf consultant with the promise that when she does go pro, she'll endrose them. That way they have the cash. I'm sure NIKE is not the only company to do this( they did the same for Tiger Woods dad).
      Listen to KEITH AND THE GIRLsigpic

      Stupid people come in all flavors-buzz1941
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      • #4
        Re: Michelle Wie

        To me the question is, will the peak of her success in the long term be now, when she's a novelty rather than solely a talent? That is, in three years, she could just another really good 18-year-old women's golf player. Right now, she's a phenomenon. If she goes pro and wins a championship next year, everyone will be watching. If she works slow and steady, she might climb the ranks and do it all right, but end up nothing altogether that special a decade from now, merely a footnote because of what she did at 15.

        I don't think she's ready to go pro, and I don't think she thinks she's ready to go pro, either. But "striking when the iron is hot" is a reasonable strategy, one followed by many sports and other young "stars." That path could go horribly wrong, but it could also work out best with the right planning and perspective. Cash in today, but be prepared for and perfectly happy with being forgotten in ten years. With more money in the bank, it's a less painful transition.

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        • #5
          Re: Michelle Wie

          I'm trying to think of a comparable female golfer and I can't. Laura Baugh and Jan Stevenson were big stars early, but it was because of their looks, not their games. Nancy Lopez was huge, but she won something like ten tournaments one year and then took a few years off to raise kids.

          Wie has now finished second in two or three LPGA tournaments as an amateur. That's better than Woods ever did.

          Speaking of seconds, a statistic I'd forgotten: Nicklaus had 18 major tournament wins, but the one that really stands out beyond that is he also finished second in majors 18 times (or close to that nbr). Think about that. First or second place 36 times on the biggest stages your game has to offer.
          http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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          • #6
            Re: Michelle Wie

            like you, i don't know much about golf and have never had any interest in playing it. just my two cents but i think it's almost a no brainer. i say go for the bucks. even if she fizzles out, she'll have made enough money to do whatever she wants for the rest of her life: play golf, go to school, work at down to earth, coach at punahou, whatever. just my two cents...
            525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

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            • #7
              Re: Michelle Wie

              I'm no golfer myself, nor do I watch much of it either. As a TV viewing sport, I put golf in between bowling & birdwatching. But I have taken a keen interest in Miss Wie, only because she is a "local girl" who has made good. But I think "Team Wie", is making a big mistake putting this youngster up against the PGA. Let's not lose sight that this young lady hasn't even won a tourney yet in the LPGA yet. I say one step at a time, and they should be "baby steps" too! I'd sure hate to see this girl 'hit the wall', and burnout like the young tennis star Tracy Austin did 30 years ago.

              Michelle Wie is all but a pro already. Though she hasn't excepted tourney money,but money from sponsers is excepted. How else would she be world hopping to make all these tourneys? I believe her classmate(S. Kono) is just as talented, but is perhaps taking a road less risky to fall into career burnout!
              I hope Michelle's parents don't lose sight that she is only a teenager, and let her live a life as a teenager too! I'm sure that is what the Kono family is doing with their daughter.

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              • #8
                Re: Michelle Wie

                Wie reportedly will turn pro next week
                Michelle Wie plans to announce Wednesday she is turning professional, six days before her 16th birthday, ending an amateur career in which she spent most of her time playing against the pros.

                Two sources involved with her decision, both speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Wie would make the morning announcement at the Kahala Mandarin Hotel near the Waialae Country Club, where she has twice played in the Sony Open.

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                • #9
                  Re: Michelle Wie

                  Which reminds me of MrWendell's Metroblogging Hawaii entry about Michelle Wie from a few months back. She may be turning pro, but she's still just a kid.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Michelle Wie

                    The article says she'll be the only junior at Punahou who's a millionaire. Good for her!
                    But I wonder if she'll really be the only millionaire student there...
                    .
                    .

                    That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Michelle Wie

                      The press conference should be starting soon - I saw a shot of the room - it's covered in Nike logos. No more wearing what she wants (except for maybe those fun earrings she favors!) when she plays. My only hope is that she doesn't lose her love for the game. I don't think you can get as good as she is solely to please some one else.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Michelle Wie

                        It's official now. More power to her!
                        And, bless her little heart, the first thing she did was to pledge $500,000 to the U.S. Golf Hurricane Relief Fund, set up by the major golf organizations.
                        Here's what has already hit, just one hour after the press conference started:

                        http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../br/br02p.html

                        http://starbulletin.com/breaking/breaking.php?id=3812

                        http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...pro/index.html

                        http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/4934532
                        .
                        .

                        That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Michelle Wie

                          Yeah, and she's got the bod and looks of a superstar model, so if her golfing career ever fades, she could probably make a lot of money on the catwalks, too! She could be the next Anna Kornikova or Serena Williams.

                          Miulang
                          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                          • #14
                            Re: Michelle Wie

                            Originally posted by LikaNui
                            The article says she'll be the only junior at Punahou who's a millionaire. Good for her!
                            But I wonder if she'll really be the only millionaire student there...
                            She'll probably the only rich kid at Punahou who earned her millions on her own. The rest of the rich kids there probably were born with silver spoons in their mouths and are related to wealthy people.

                            Miulang
                            "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                            • #15
                              Re: Michelle Wie

                              i say geev um, weezie...even if she goes out like a damp bottle rocket, she'll still have the cash, and, as far as i can tell, $10M still goes a long way towards a lifetime of security...

                              any bets on the over-under for her first playboy spread? (crass, i know, but not unrealistic)
                              Don't be mean,
                              try to help.

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