Studley's Blog

Michelle Wie, playing her best rounds of this year and the best she has played in a long time, was disqualified from the State Farm Classic after today's round for failing to sign her scorecard after concluding Friday's round.

This strange episode is yet another in the saga of an otherwise talented golfer.  She has been playing golf since the age of 10, and has played professionally since the age of 15.  Now 18 and a Freshman at Stanford University (she has taken a leave for the Spring and Summer Quarters and will return in the Fall Quarter), it appeared that the form she showed in 2005 and 2006 was returning.

Then this happens.

“She was like a little kid after you tell them there’s no Santa Claus,” remarked Sue Witters, the LPGA’s Director of Tournament Competitions, as she described what happened after she disqualified Wie.

Her novelty, that of her age, has all but worn off.  There are many 18-year-olds playing on tour, and several have won tournaments.  She will have to go to LPGA Qualifying School if she wants a full tour playing card for 2009.  The only way she can avoid that is to either win a lot of money or win a tournament this year. 

As a professional but a non-LPGA Member, she is limited to playing in no more than six LPGA events per year and only on sponsor exemptions.  She can play in an unlimited number of non-LPGA events, provided she qualifies for the events or is given a special exemption by the event's organizers.

Tournament sponsors of PGA and LPGA events have come under increasing criticism from others for granting her one of their four available exemptions, under the claims that allowing her to participate takes away opportunities from more deserving golfers. 

Wie is a competitor, and she possesses phenominal physical talent.  But she hasn't closed the deal when it comes to tournaments she was leading or in contention for, and it has usually been caused by mental errors in her game or instances like this one today.

My questions to you, the Blogosphere, are as follows:

 - Is this a case of talent wasted?

 - Has there been too much pressure of playing adults at a young age, resulting in what for her are immature errors? 

 - Is there too much hype based on her skills relative to her young age?

 - Will she ever decide to attend "Q-School", as it is called?

 - She has never won a 72-hole stroke-play event at any level.  Will she ever win one?

Discuss.