Special Treatment for Michelle Wie Gets Mixed Reviews In America
By PJ Browne n announcing that it was dropping its men only rule for next year’s British Open, the R&A Golf Club, through secretary Peter Dawson, also said that Michelle Wie could play this year’s event if she happens to qualify at the John Deere Classic. The Classic offered Wie, only 15, a spot on the PGA Tour event in July, the week before the Open, and stirred up a whole lot of hype. One can’t fault the organisers of the Deere event, which because of its date has trouble attracting a stellar field, meaning that the majority of the players are nonexempt for the Open. Last year, only 12 of the 156 players in the John Deere field played in the Open. In any case, Wie will have to beat at least 140 or so men. “At a minimum top 10, and probably top 5,” says John Deere tournament director Clair Peterson, assessing the chances of
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Wie, who would do well to even make the cut. “But the thing to me,” Peterson quickly adds, “is that people are talking and it has opened the door that someday someone might walk through, whether it’s Michelle or someone else. It certainly has added interest in the sport.” And therein lies the crux of the matter. Wie has already been extended more exemptions (from the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour and even the USGA for last year’s Women’s Open) than any 15-year old in history, including Tiger Woods when he was a teenage sensation. A valid argument can be made that this is unfair. Woods tried to qualify for the 1990 Nissan Open, barely missed, and was offered a sponsor’s exemption as a 16-year old two years later. He then missed the cut by six shots. Wie has proven that she can compete against the best women in the world. If she wasn’t an amateur, she would be 10th
on the LPGA money list with just three 2005 starts. Twice invited to the Sony Open in her home state of Hawaii, she also came close to making the cut against the men two years ago. All of this has made her remarkably accomplished for her age. Nevertheless, the only big tournament that Wie has won remains the 2003 US Women’s Publinks Championship. And still, she continues to get exemptions because her entry guarantees a substantial increase in attendance. In a place like Quad Cities, home of the John Deere event, Wie’s appearance might be the biggest sporting event of the year. “There’s a certain financial threshold that a PGA Tour player has to meet every year to stay on Tour,” says Peterson. “We as a PGA Tour event have the same kind of financial threshold. We have to generate enough money to pay a $4million dollar purse
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and all the expenses that are attached to an event and still have money left over to give to charity. Our purse has gone up$1 million over the last three years and our ticket prices have not changed.” “This is a way for us to add interest, put a few more people on the golf course and generate the revenues we need in order to meet our minimum criteria. The phones are still ringing. Not since 1996 have we seen anything like that.” Peterson said. “It’s absolutely the right thing for us to do. Some players are concerned she’s taking a spot. But in our case she’s not, because we have used unrestricted exemptions in the past on local flavor or people who will boost the gate.” Peterson added that if the tournament can attract two of the top 10 players inn the world, it’s having a great year. Vijay Singh, Nick price, Chris DiMarco and Jay Haas were last year’s headliners. Singh will
not be back this year and DiMarco is a maybe. At the same time, Peterson estimates that Wie will bring at least 10,000 more people through the gates, generating an extra $220,000. Most PGA Tour pros step lightly around the subject, and LPGA players are more irked that Wie was extended an invitation to the LPGA Championship, which, like the PGA Championship, is supposed to be a pro only event. Retief Goosen recently said that he had no problem with Wie playing – not on an exemption, but through qualifying. And DiMarco this week said he had no problems as long as Wie wasn’t taking up a spot that could go to a non-exempt PGA Tour player who needs the payday. One such player, Jim McGovern, a former PGA Tour winner from Oradell, NJ
is against the exemptions: “I don’t think it’s right, but it’s the sponsors choice and they want to raise interest. But I think it’s taking a spot away from a guy who’s playing for his card.” McGovern is playing the Nationwide Tour full-time in an effort to regain his PGA Tour status. “Hey, that’s a big week for guys like me, and there are a whole lot of us out here. You get hot, who knows?” McGovern (father of 3 with two girls) is uncomfortable with any 15 year old getting an exemption. “Annika Sorenstam has earned anything she wants in golf. If someone wants to give a sponsor’s exemption to Annika, I totally understand it. She’s proven herself as one of the best players in the world. But this is a child. She hasn’t proven anything. I know she’s a great player and she’s got a great swing, but there are a lot of guys like that. I just don’t think it’s right.”
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