12/22/24
May 05, 2006
Wie Makes Cut in South Korea: Michelle Wie has made the cut at the SK Telecom Open, becoming the first female to accomplish that feat on a major men's tour since Babe Zaharias at the Los Angeles Open in 1945. "I want to challenge the PGA tour in the U.S. and make it into the top 10," said Wie, who was followed by a Palmeresque gallery of 1,500 fans.
Didn't Se-Ri Pak make the cut on the Korean Men's Tour a few years back? Regardless, congratulations to Michelle. I think she needs to learn how to win on the LPGA before tackling the PGA full time, but what does a bogey golfer like me know?
posted by BigVACub at 09:19 AM on May 05, 2006
I'm torn on this issue. On one hand, I agree that she should be helping elevate the LPGA, but on the other hand, she is playing excellent golf, and if she can beat the boys, then more power to her. I know that some say the PGA is a men's tour, but that's not true, it is for Professional Golfers. If she can legitimately compete, then why not. If she is just out there taking up a spot that's another story. But she seems capable of competing at a very high level.
posted by bobrolloff at 09:20 AM on May 05, 2006
One of her main goals is to play in the Masters so this is kind of her first shot because it's the first cut she's made in a Men's tournament granted it's South Korea but she did not make the cut in Japan or The John Deere Classic in Iowa last year I wish her lots of luck she's young and she's exciting to watch even though I'm no big golf fan
posted by luther70 at 10:37 AM on May 05, 2006
I think it's great that she sets new standards for young female athletes.
posted by kcmac10 at 10:56 AM on May 05, 2006
Babe Zaharias is an interesting tangent from this story well worth venturing off on: Wikipedia - ESPN article
posted by hb74147 at 11:09 AM on May 05, 2006
Until she does it at a tournament that North Americans have heard of, her achievements will continue to be pooh-poohed by people who think like Vijay Singh. Don't go sounding the death knell for the LPGA just yet. This is an amazing achievement, and if she continues to improve then she'll be exploring new frontiers in huge by the time she's old enough to drink legally. But the world is still plenty big enough for the PGA and LPGA to coexist, and I'll certainly follow both the same way I always have (passively stopping on the Golf Channel every once in a while, keeping on top of who's in the top ten, not a lot more than that, but still). That said, yay her. She was all around this the last couple of times she's tried, and it was only a matter of time before she succeeded.
posted by chicobangs at 12:05 PM on May 05, 2006
I don't like it. I like boys leagues and girls leagues. I like them both, but I like them separate. Call me old fashioned. Why don't I like it? Hmm, cuz I'm scared of getting beat by a girl? - well, maybe a little bit. cuz I find it slightly strange that girls can play in an all men's league, but the men can't play in the all girls league? - well, maybe a little bit. cuz I'm sexist? hmmm, I don't think so. cuz I think Wie gets more publicity than she' s earned and this is a marketing gimmick? - yeah, that might be part of it. I don't know exactly why I don't like it, but I don't. I guess I'm a bad person.
posted by Bill Lumbergh at 01:26 PM on May 05, 2006
Wie hasn't won a womens tournament yet and she is trying to compete against the men. The reason is that her sponsers pay her very well not to win tournaments but to generate press. What better way to do that then to play against the men. Don't hold your breath waiting for her to win against them.
posted by Atheist at 01:40 PM on May 05, 2006
The PGA is not a men's league, Bill. It's aleague for the best players in golf, and the TV ratings and tournament prizes reflect that stature. If the PGA is turned into the MPGA to keep golfers like Wie from playing in events where they could make the cut, how does that help the PGA?
posted by rcade at 01:43 PM on May 05, 2006
Wie's only 16 years old and she's regularly hitting longer than 300, Atheist. It's foolish to write off her chances to be competitive in the PGA.
posted by rcade at 01:45 PM on May 05, 2006
Atheist, this thread exists because she made a cut at a men's tournament. She's not "trying to compete." She's competing.
posted by chicobangs at 01:51 PM on May 05, 2006
Don't hold your breath waiting for her to win against them. Please let her win this week... please please please.
posted by JJ at 01:56 PM on May 05, 2006
The reason is that her sponsers pay her very well not to win tournaments but to generate press. Do you think her endorsement value would increase or decrease if she won?
posted by yerfatma at 01:58 PM on May 05, 2006
Wie's only 16 years old and she's regularly hitting longer than 300, Atheist. It's foolish to write off her chances to be competitive in the PGA. Well its just my opinion that she won't be winning any mens tournaments. Also I think one of the reasons she hits so long is that she is sixteen. Ever notice that in one of the most strength oriented womens sports, Gymnastics, the women peak at a very early age? It is because that is the age when their bodies are the most like boys. As they turn into grown women their athleticism, strength and flexibility decline. Not their skills but their strength to weight ratio. Golf of course isn't all that athletic so I suppose it is one sport where a woman with a very high skill level can play closer to a mans level. I think it speaks more about the lack of athleticism required for golf than it does anything else. After all bigger, stronger, faster don't mean much when your are trying to sink a 4 foot put. Lets face it women can compete at a level equal to men is certain sports like driving race cars, riding horses, golf, etc. But in a sport where athleticism counts they are going to be handicapped. Even in marathon running where no size or strength is involved they are not on par with male competitors.
posted by Atheist at 02:07 PM on May 05, 2006
You're right. That is just your opinion. If all sixteen year old girls were as strong as grown men, there'd be a lot more girls hitting the long ball on the men's tour. Don't compare 16-year-old girls to 16-year-old boys and then extrapolate that out to grown men. That's not logical. Oh, and yerfatma, no one likes a successful woman. They get all uppity and start demanding things like equal pay and the vote and stuff.
posted by chicobangs at 02:07 PM on May 05, 2006
atheist = doesn't believe in God Atheist = doesn't believe in women If God really is a woman, you are sooo screwed.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:51 PM on May 05, 2006
Didn't Se-Ri Pak make the cut on the Korean Men's Tour a few years back? BigVA, Pak made the cut, and finished T10, in a Korean PGA (KPGA) event in 2003, which is not considered a major tour. Wie's event in Korea is on the Asian Tour. Nice accomplishment to make the cut in a men's tournament at age 18 for certain, but I'll hold off the accolades for a cut made against a field we are familiar with in North America.
posted by scrabblejim at 03:01 PM on May 05, 2006
atheist = doesn't believe in God Correct, you're an f'ing genius Atheist = doesn't believe in women Where did you get that? I love and respect women and believe that women can do amazing things. I just believe men and women have different strengths, and Michelle Wie is not ready to be competitive against the best male golfers in the world. You're making quite a stretch with that statement. If God really is a woman, you are sooo screwed. If there is a god and god is a woman, then I guess you will only have her to blame for all the injustices perpetrated on the women, men and children of the world up until now. You can also blame her if Michelle Wie doesn't beat the pants of the men. .
posted by Atheist at 03:26 PM on May 05, 2006
If she beats the men, and I hope she does, I'm sure some of the male golfers will be screaming STEROIDS!!!
posted by joromu at 03:55 PM on May 05, 2006
I hope Hootie is around to see Wie win the Masters. Whatcha gonna say now Hooootie!!!! LMAO
posted by joromu at 03:59 PM on May 05, 2006
If Phil Mickelson is allowed to beat 8 year old girls in a hula dancing competition, Wie should be allowed to try to beat his ass at golf.
posted by tselson at 04:13 PM on May 05, 2006
Hey joromu, Hootie's actually quitting.
posted by chicobangs at 04:20 PM on May 05, 2006
How come, whenever the latest iteration of this same tired meta-subject comes up, and two or three or half a dozen people say, "How come a woman gets to play on a men's tour but men don't play in a women's tour?", and one or two or three people point out for the nth time that the LPGA is explicitly a women's league but the PGA is not a "men's league"...that none of these people who were complaining about an uppity woman pushing into the men's club have the good grace to at least do an Emily Litella and say, "...never mind"?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 04:26 PM on May 05, 2006
"in a sport where athleticism counts they are going to be handicapped" Remember the thread on this guy? Not much of an athlete or a physical specimen. Seems his ability to hit the ball has nothing to do with the typical differences that separate the genders.
posted by hb74147 at 04:27 PM on May 05, 2006
Damn it, I'm tired and I was going to go to bed, but since no one seems to have risen to the challenge, I guess I'm going to have to stay up a bit longer and do it myself. Ever notice that in one of the most strength oriented womens sports, Gymnastics, the women peak at a very early age? Sure - those 14 year-old gymnasts are way stronger than the women who compete in the throwing events. Don't even get me started on those weak-ass weightlifters, skiiers, tennis players, sprinters... After all bigger, stronger, faster don't mean much when your are trying to sink a 4 foot put. Absolutely - nothing but coincidence that the best golfer on the planet, who may yet become the best golfer to ever play the game, has the biggest, strongest, fastest swing in the game (and I presume you mean 'putt' - if not, and you were really talking about shot put, you lost me). Lets face it women can compete at a level equal to men is certain sports like driving race cars, riding horses, golf, etc. But in a sport where athleticism counts they are going to be handicapped. Even in marathon running where no size or strength is involved they are not on par with male competitors. God - where to start - driving racing cars requires no athleticism? No size or strength is required to run a competitive marathon? Have you ever watched any sport? Are you just trying to wind me up?
posted by JJ at 04:50 PM on May 05, 2006
Are you just trying to wind me up? JJ...I was hoping that no one would dignify the ignorance of stating that golf lacks athleticism. I guess those fitness trailers on tour are going to be used for the homeless folks now.
posted by Leominster at 06:16 PM on May 05, 2006
Even in marathon running where no size or strength is involved they are not on par with male competitors. What would you consider, "on par"? Within 10%? The women's best marathon time is only 8.4% longer than the men's best marathon time. (based on stats up to 2003) In fact, women have been gaining on men in the past 25 years. Since 1980, the best time for a men's marathon has dropped only 4.13% (less htan 4 minutes). The best time for a woman's marathon has dropped 9.73% (more than 10 minutes). Some researchers think that women might actually beat men (in the future) in marathons, and even sooner in events like ultra-marathons.
posted by grum@work at 06:54 PM on May 05, 2006
TBH thanks. That made my day!
posted by Desert Dog at 08:06 PM on May 05, 2006
What are some of the major men players in this tournament???
posted by vetteman at 09:18 PM on May 05, 2006
she missed the cut in the 7 other tournaments she entered, which makes you wonder, just who didn't make the cut in this tournament??
posted by vetteman at 09:22 PM on May 05, 2006
She has the only recognizable name in the tournament, I'm not taking away that this is a good accomplishment, but I'll wait to see how she does against the big boys of golf.
posted by vetteman at 09:43 PM on May 05, 2006
Well that's great she made the cut , but how many of those Korean men could make the cut on the PGA Tour??? Oh wait! Maybe that's why they're playing there instead of here because they could'nt make the cut here either.
posted by jknemo at 10:19 PM on May 05, 2006
vetteman, jknemo, I have the same question for both of you: What do those questions have to do with anything at all?
posted by chicobangs at 10:47 PM on May 05, 2006
Big deal, Michelle Wie made the cut in a tournament with no other noteworthy players in the field. She came awfully close a couple of years back in the Sony Open, which has some of the weakest fields to be found on the PGA Tour. She'll probably make some more cuts in Asian Tour events, and if she plays two great rounds in a PGA event she could make the cut there. But winning a PGA event? Even making the top 10 is a pipe dream. One way to fix this women-playing-in-men's-events controversy is to change the PGA to a men-only tour. There's no law against doing that! The mere existence of the LPGA as a women-only tour implies that women golfers need their own tour to be successful. The alternative to closing the PGA to women is to eliminate the LPGA and make all the women compete on the PGA Tour. Other than (maybe) Michelle Wie and (maybe) Annika Sorenstam, very few (if any) women could ever make the cut in any PGA event.
posted by TerpFan at 11:44 PM on May 05, 2006
One way to fix this women-playing-in-men's-events controversy is to change the PGA to a men-only tour. Would you also enforce an age limit on the "men's only" tour? I mean, you don't want the golfers that are 50 and over to play on that tour. After all, they have their own exclusive tour. Maybe they should shut down the Champion Tour and make them all compete on the PGA Tour. Other than (maybe) Loren Roberts and (maybe) Jay Haas, very few (if any) senior golfers could ever make the cut in any PGA event.
posted by grum@work at 12:40 AM on May 06, 2006
Let's also stop teens from having their own leagues. It's not fair that Michelle Wie can play in PGA events but Vijay Singh can't compete in the Florida high school golf championship.
posted by rcade at 01:21 AM on May 06, 2006
What did Michelle Wie do to deserve the treatment she gets here (and elsewhere)? I can think of no other athlete of whom so much seems to be required at such a ridiculously young age. There are plenty of men out there who struggle every year to make a cut on the PGA Tour - and they're adults, who have played golf for years at a very high level - but no one singles them out for this sort of abuse. The basic premise of the argument seems to be "She can't win the tournaments, so he shouldn't be playing in them." Both sides of that statement are incorrect, but let's assume for a moment that in some parallel universe, the first half of it were true. As such, only people who could win a tournament should be allowed to play in one? Who judges that? How else can that be judged other than by letting people play in tournaments and seeing whether or not they can win? There is no sense in getting into a pointless argument about what Wie will or won't do in the game - no one can know that, and claiming to know based on her gender is just sexist stereotyping nonsense - she will do what she will do, but cut her the same slack that you would any other noivice athlete just starting a career.
posted by JJ at 04:27 AM on May 06, 2006
One way to fix this women-playing-in-men's-events controversy is to change the PGA to a men-only tour. And unless and until they do, the events of the PGA tour are not "men's events" -- right, TerpFan? Right? That is assuming there's anything to "fix"; evidently, at least so far, the PGA disagrees with you on that score. Some people, yourself perhaps included, seem to be losing much sleep over this "controversy", but as far as I can tell the PGA isn't even breaking a sweat. Having a Boston Marathon flashback,
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:03 AM on May 06, 2006
If there is a god and god is a woman, then I guess you will only have her to blame for all the injustices perpetrated on the women, men and children of the world up until now. This presumes predestination. I would fully support you in any attempt to change your username from Atheist to Calvinist.
posted by yerfatma at 08:53 AM on May 06, 2006
I think the pro tours should be separated by gender, race, religion, height, weight, left hand and right hand players. Maybe we could have classifications for alcoholics, dope addicts, etc. She made the cut, good for her. I hope she plays the masters and WINS it. Let Hootie Johnson go suck on a hot tailpipe.
posted by joromu at 08:58 AM on May 06, 2006
The main reason she gets the exemptions to play is she brings in MONEY, people always pay to see a freak show. Before someone gets butthurt, that was just a metaphor and you knew what I meant from the beginning.
posted by vetteman at 09:17 AM on May 06, 2006
Vijay Singh can't compete in the Florida high school golf championship. Shouldn't he be playing in the FGA (Fijian Golfer's Association) anyway? I would fully support you in any attempt to change your username from Atheist to Calvinist. Theological humor kicks ass!
posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:58 AM on May 06, 2006
The nmumber of "eye candy" female golfers who are now playing is great regardless of which tour they play on. Soon however, the draw of the centerfold gets them and off they go to the studio, movies, commercials, etc. Just like the russion tennis players.
posted by nowandthen at 10:28 AM on May 06, 2006
The main reason she gets the exemptions to play is she brings in MONEY, people always pay to see a freak show. Why does she bring in money? Because she's 16? Why isn't every 16 year-old doing the same? Is it, maybe, because not every 16 year-old girl is quite so shit hot at golf?
posted by JJ at 02:23 PM on May 06, 2006
Theological humor kicks ass! Even funnier comming from a man whose "nick" is a criminal and terroristic secret society.
posted by Folkways at 03:14 PM on May 06, 2006
people always pay to see a freak show. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
posted by chicobangs at 04:01 PM on May 06, 2006
Even funnier comming from a man whose "nick" is a criminal and terroristic secret society. Well, there goes the "secret" part...next, you'll give away the secret handshake and the number to the Batphone!
posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:14 PM on May 06, 2006
The nmumber of "eye candy" female golfers who are now playing is great regardless of which tour they play on. Save yourself the aggravation of watching a golf match -- buy a magazine. Look under "cheesecake". Be careful about the age thing, though. Soon however, the draw of the centerfold gets them and off they go to the studio, movies, commercials, etc. Just like the russion tennis players. If you can name two female Russian tennis players who have appeared in a centerfold or a movie, I'll be astonished. Hell, I'll be astonished if you can name two female Russian tennis players, period, without resorting to a websearch.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:46 AM on May 07, 2006
Ack..sorry TBH, your secret is safe with me (yea right) my grandfather was a Mason so.... Good for Wie though, I hope she does well in any tournament she plays. The media/public pressure to succeed being placed on her would be unbareable to me.
posted by Folkways at 10:26 AM on May 07, 2006
I've been thinking that Wie should slow down and focus on the LPGA, but this makes me wonder if she's doing the right thing by setting her sights higher. If she has the composure to play that well with a throng of fans that huge, she'll be able to reach the weekend in PGA events. The only qualm I have is that she could elevate the LPGA's stature by playing its events.