Michelle Wie (again)

Err, sorry, no it isn't......

The mind (especially a golfers mind) is a very funny thing...

There is no telling what mentally percieved pressure can and will do to an otherwise notionally "thoughtless" learned skill, in any field of athletic endeavour...

Just ask any professional tennis player how much harder it is to step up to the line and hit that first serve when it's a Match Point in a Grand Slam singles Final match as opposed to an opening point in a first round match in a third or fourth tier qualifier event.

Same could be said of a golfer standing over a 15ft putt when there is $3 Million Dollars riding on the outcome and they have less than $5 in the bank, you tell me there is no pressure......

The "brashness of youth" will only carry you so far......

As I said in my post earlier in this thread, I wish Michelle well and I hope she does well. Clearly she posseses extraordinary talent, but, the only thing that bothers me is the seemingly unavoidable hype that goes along with it......

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I'm with scragger on this one.

You do 'learn to win'. Just like you 'learn to excel'. Why do you think, that in every broadcast of every major sporting event, especially when one team has been there before (I've got the NE Patriots of the NFL in mind, here); that the commentators often remark about how the advantage is to the team that has been there before? Because it makes for good TV drama? Hogwash.

Yes, Michelle Wie has phenomenal golf talent. But she lacks the mental focus to finish out a round. You're right, Wildbore, she has a ton of top 10s, and quite a few #2's. But when you cannot hold your focus, especially in golf, that is what you end up with: Lot's of runner up prizes, usually lost to the folks that can finish.

Let's look at the most recent tournament on the PGA Tour - the Buick Invitational. Tiger shoots low round of the day on day 4 to win. The leader (Brandt Snedeker) finishes with 3 bogies and shoots 1 under on the day; after starting the day 2 strokes in front of Tiger. Sure, Brandt won a couple last year, but I've heard it often said by guys who win on the PGA Tour that they really struggled until they won their first tournament.

It's the same with breaking 100, 90, 80, 70 as well - it's mental. It's a big deal, and you get nervous when you haven't done it yet. How many of us, the first time we realised that we needed to play the last 3 holes well to break a new plateau, went out and did it on the first try? I certainly did not. But once I did, I knew I could, and have continued to do so.

So is winning something you learn to do? Sure it is. It's all in your head.

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She aint got the guns for it. Simple as that. She is hitting the ball harder than she needs to on the mens courses to try and generate the spin cos she is hitting more club than she needs to be.

She may get a bit more power as she gets older but at the moment its Seve and Tiger all over again, that swing will have to change before long unless she wants to spend her middle age in traction.

She hasnt won anything big at any stage in her career. She needs to win on the LPGA tour on a consistent basis first then go after the guys.

And I still think the door should be opened the other way so men can try and qualify for the womens tour events.......its not about equality if they arent going to let men play on their side of the fence.

D.

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There is without a doubt tons of pressure. That doesen't mean Michelle can't win a ton of LPGA events in the near future.

If what you are trying to say is experience is an asset, then I agree with you. However, it is possible for inexperienced players to have enormous success, especially if they have incredible talent and skill.


Michelle Wie is extremely focused. She knows her goals, she knows what it takes to acheive them, she plays hard every round, and shows emotion. Just because she hasn't won, doesen't mean theres a mental or physical problem you can attribute to it. It took Tiger Woods 19 PGA Tour events before he won, and he was older when it happened. So I think we can give Michelle a break already.


Maybe you can explain how one can win? Because so far, you have bashed Michelle Wie, yet given no explaination of what she can do different.



She has as much power as Furyk, Weir, and Toms, so even though shes not monsterous off the tee, she still has enough to compete.

Why should she wait until she is winning consistantly before going after the men? She has the sponsors invites now, she has the time to play, she wants to play, why not do both at once?



There is already a tour for men and women, its called the PGA Tour. Why would the LPGA open up to men, when men can already play on various other tours? Not all women are able to compete with men physically, which is the reason for a women's only tour.


I don't see why a man would want to play on the LPGA Tour, he would just be embarrassing himself in front of the world.

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Hey Wildbore...

I was referrring specifically to Michelle's ability to be successful on the PGA tour and all the PT Barnum 3 ring Circus style hype that goes along with her playing at that level.

Personally, have no issue whatsoever with her (or any other woman for that matter) competing on the PGA tour I just think that the level of hype that surrounds it makes it far too difficult for her to "get the job done" just now.

Clearly, with her abilities, I do believe she will eventually become one of the LPGA's greatest players, but I think her foray's into the men's tour MAY not have as much of a positive effect for her as she might hope.

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