Does Augusta National give her an invite? It is pretty amazing that a 15 year old girl is beating all the these guys who have been playing longer than her and are probaly really good. Just the fact that she has beaten three guys should shut up the dretactors who say she should stick on the womans tour.
I think Augusta HAS to give her an invite if she wins, no? Isn't that the price This tourney is intresting because she didn't get a sponsor's exemption here - she actually qualified. It would be funny to see her win.... It's one thing to lose to a 15-yr old girl in a big field of 100 people... but for her to beat 6 guys head-to-head, I hope some of them are the guys that criticize her for playing against the guys.
If not for Michelle Wie, there would be zero reason to watch this qualifier tournament. Good for her.
I respect Michelle and Danica. I don't respect Lisa Leslie and the other WNBA *****. Edit - To clarify, Michelle and Danica are competing against guys and kicking ass.
if only michelle went to my high school and her mom wanted her to use the same locker room as the boys...
I think they are obligated. Hootie doesn't have an issue with female PLAYERS...just members. I dont think there will be an issue if she wins. Also...not only does she get to play, she gets to play with Tiger and Michael Campbell for the 1st 2 rounds.
Is she really that great? If I'm not mistaken, she hasn't actually won anything yet, and she isn't even the best player in women's tournaments. I'll grant you she has potential (her drives are amazing). But, imho, she doesn't deserve all the attention and hype she is getting. Not at this point in her career anyways.
At this point in her career? She's 15. She is a 15 yr old girl who almost made the cut at a Men's tournament and is now in the final 8 of a the Mens Public Links. She also played (albeit horribly) in the final group at the US Womens Open. Next to Tiger, she is perhaps the biggest draw in golf.
She may not be the best womens golfer, but it isn't about being the best sometimes, it's about if you have the courage to try. And no woman ever did. Now this girl, she wants it. she has beaten a lot of PGA men. So she earned respect in a lot of books.
I find Wie to be amazing. I wouldn't tune in to an event like this without her presence, because I'm not a golf fan. She definitely brings a lot of attention (and probably money) to golf events. Is she still considered an amateur? Why isn't she a professional? To have a 15 year old girl competing (and beating) professional men is just phenomenal.
I'm pretty sure they're not obligated to give her an invite, after all its an "invitation". The wording is something like Augusta National traditionally extends an invite, so they still have an out.
The Masters next year would be a three ring media circus if Wie goes. They won't let women be members of Agusta National but Wei wins her way in. It would be awesome! I'm rooting for her! Anyone notice how she wears full length pants when playing against the boys but shorts against the girls. Maybe that is the dress code.
Not obligated, just they traditionally do. I believe I heard that Hootie said he would give her an invite if she won.
Of course he would. Hootie knows $$$ - imagine what he could demand for coverage of the first two rounds. Tiger paired with Wie. No crowd following them aound
I've been cheering her on the whole week. She's doing some amazing things considering her age (and gender). For those who think she should go and compete with the women, why? Do we tell Freddy Adu that he should go and play with the kids in an under-16 league because he could dominate them? She's proven that she can compete with the men, so why not play with them? When she plays with the women, she has to hit irons and higher fairway woods off of the tee most of the time because the courses are set up for shorter players. Sorenstam is better than her on short courses right now, but on a men's course, I bet Wie is better. Oh, and for what it's worth, she already won the women's version of this tournament - when she was 13. Don't deny her the right to play with suitable competition for her skills.
There was a dress code for the PGATour event she played in last week, I don't believe there is a dress code for this USGA event; remember Tiger won his USGA amature events in shorts. The Masters is an invitational event but they publish a list of qualifying events and they have always emphisized bring in amature champions, even to the point of Walker Cup players (?) so if she wins she's in. The members at Augusta don't give a rats ass about making more money, they could charge 100 times what they charge for tickets. I once won the lottery for practice round tickets and they were only $32, The waiting list for tics was closed in 1977 because once someone is on the ticket list they never give them up even willing to their children. Also, they only charge modest prices for their concessions $1.75 for a pimento cheese sandwich and $1 for a coke. The kids Michelle is beating this week are top college players, the equivelent of AA all-stars in baseball. It is probably the beginning of a legend in golf very close to what Tiger did given that she is only 15 and that she is a girl. It is totally unbelievable. For those that say she shouldn't be allowed to compete in men's tournaments, they aren't men's tournaments they are open qualifying tournaments. Women's tournaments have to be limited to women to give them a level at which they can compete. So called 'men's' tournament are open to the best players reguardless of sex. I for one look forward to watching her comete on the big tour for the next 20 years because she is hot,hot hot. (she don't look 15)
They will let her play in the Masters if she wins. They will rake it in as far as ratrings go if she does play and especially if she makes the cut. I don't really have a problem if she plays in the PGA Tour so long as she plays by the same rules as the gents and hits from the same tees.....then if she beats some of those guys then they deserve to lose..... The media will spin it as if its the second coming of Rosa Parks but you kind of expect that from the dra-media..
