MW back to Q in a few?

[Tasals]

It's really a shame because she could dominate the LPGA if everything was right.

Not saying you are wrong, because who could ever prove such a thing, but I am surprised at the endurance of this particular "IF". IMO it is a huge one. Here we are talking about Michelle having to maybe go back to Q-school because she is playing so bad lately, and yet some still have vast reserves of hope, for her to turn the corner and at last, take her rightful place at the top of women's golf. I am not one of these wrx guys that goes around trying to invalidate everyone else's opinions all the time but IMHO this is one extremely whimsical fantasy. Not that there's anything wrong with that btw.

It's whimsical considering it's such a farfetched idea yeah, but the basis for that notion is the fact she's able to generate so much clubhead speed and spin her wedges so well. In terms of raw physical potential she's as high up on the list as you get. That's all people mean by that.

That is a good point. Still I feel plenty of the other girls like Lexi, Brittany, Gerina, Suzann can compete with Michelle's height and spin no problem. If she joined the JLPGA I think sure, Michelle would enjoy a huge advantage on clubhead speed alone. Not on the LPGA though.

Michelle isn't the only player with a power advantage. ;) The fact that Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis and Lydia Ko are so successful might be a bit of an indictment of the more powerful LPGA crowd. Why are the longer hitters on the LPGA not contending on a more regular basis? Maybe the course setups don't do enough to reward power as on the PGA? Interesting topic. I haven't a clue.

 

I think power would dominate the LPGA more if the courses were firmer and greens were harder.

 

The closer to the green the more you can spin the ball, the more loft you have the softer it lands and the more it spins, the faster it stops on the green.

 

Wie did fine at her US open win as she was having a good week putting, but the course was obscenely hard and she was for the most part bombing everything off the tee, was one of the few players who could easily reach the driveable par 4 with without a driver i think she did it with a hybrid one day too.

 

Like MelloYello says its about balance, the LPGA needs to balance the course out, you have some extremely short hitters who on firmer greens are going to never have the opportunity to stop the ball if they have to go a par 4 with a driver and a wood. Some of the courses just dont give the players the option to land it 10 yards short of the green and run up. If this was the case you would see power become that much of a bigger factor on the LPGA. For every time Lexi is hitting driver 9 iron into a par 4 theres someone with driver 6 hybrid and the LPGA wants both the have a chance to stop the ball.

[CEPick]

I hope to goodness she turns it around because the LPGA is excruciating. She looks the part of a golfer that is an athlete. These others... meh.

[gmangolf]

Huh. In contention at a major. Are we still over reacting?

[MelloYello]

Huh. In contention at a major. Are we still over reacting?

 

And apparently Friday was still her only round in the 60s this year...ouch.

[JaNelson38]

She's still only 26. Plenty of pros have lost their games only to find them again. All it takes is for her to actually put in the effort to get better at golf.

 

Like most golfers who lose their games, they're more focused on playing golf swing instead of just playing golf.

[KYMAR]

It's really a shame because she could dominate the LPGA if everything was right.

 

Not saying you are wrong, because who could ever prove such a thing, but I am surprised at the endurance of this particular "IF". IMO it is a huge one. Here we are talking about Michelle having to maybe go back to Q-school because she is playing so bad lately, and yet some still have vast reserves of hope, for her to turn the corner and at last, take her rightful place at the top of women's golf. I am not one of these wrx guys that goes around trying to invalidate everyone else's opinions all the time but IMHO this is one extremely whimsical fantasy. Not that there's anything wrong with that btw.

 

As a guy who really enjoys invalidating other people's opinions, I Completely agree. That "if" ship has sailed. I don't think she needs to start thinking About a return to q school anytime soon. But I don't see Anything that makes me think She's Has a "Dominate" switch She can Flip. She needs work Tee to green.

[NorthTexasGlfr]

It's really a shame because she could dominate the LPGA if everything was right.

 

Not saying you are wrong, because who could ever prove such a thing, but I am surprised at the endurance of this particular "IF". IMO it is a huge one. Here we are talking about Michelle having to maybe go back to Q-school because she is playing so bad lately, and yet some still have vast reserves of hope, for her to turn the corner and at last, take her rightful place at the top of women's golf. I am not one of these wrx guys that goes around trying to invalidate everyone else's opinions all the time but IMHO this is one extremely whimsical fantasy. Not that there's anything wrong with that btw.

 

As a guy who really enjoys invalidating other people's opinions, I Completely agree. That "if" ship has sailed. I don't think she needs to start thinking About a return to q school anytime soon. But I don't see Anything that makes me think She's Has a "Dominate" switch She can Flip. She needs work Tee to green.

 

Opinions generally can't be proven to be right nor wrong. You may very well be right but I could also be right. And I'm not sure that you can invalidate someone's opinion simply by giving your own opinion. Unless, of course, you are always right :taunt:

[legitimategolf]

She managed to finally break 70 on Friday but I don't think she is out of the woods. T36 is a horrible finish after having a realistic chance to win.

 

 

 

IMO she clowns around and doesn't take the game very serious. I believe her putting experiments are little more than teenage rebellion, attempts at asserting her autonomy. There's no way BJ is down with all that bending over and crouching. But there's nothing he can do about it!

[MelloYello]

She managed to finally break 70 on Friday but I don't think she is out of the woods. T36 is a horrible finish after having a realistic chance to win.

 

 

 

IMO she clowns around and doesn't take the game very serious. I believe her putting experiments are little more than teenage rebellion, attempts at asserting her autonomy. There's no way BJ is down with all that bending over and crouching. But there's nothing he can do about it!

 

I can't speak to her relationship with her dad or whatever psychological factors may be at play but her temporary fixes are the stuff of weekend hacks. I can't believe a person with her ability can't go to a legitimate mentor and work on fundamentals.

 

I mean, seriously, an avid reader of Golf Digest can tell you what she's doing is silly. I'd hate to think what's going through the mind of real swing coaches.

[JaNelson38]

She managed to finally break 70 on Friday but I don't think she is out of the woods. T36 is a horrible finish after having a realistic chance to win.

 

 

 

IMO she clowns around and doesn't take the game very serious. I believe her putting experiments are little more than teenage rebellion, attempts at asserting her autonomy. There's no way BJ is down with all that bending over and crouching. But there's nothing he can do about it!

 

I can't speak to her relationship with her dad or whatever psychological factors may be at play but her temporary fixes are the stuff of weekend hacks. I can't believe a person with her ability can't go to a legitimate mentor and work on fundamentals.

 

I mean, seriously, an avid reader of Golf Digest can tell you what she's doing is silly. I'd hate to think what's going through the mind of real swing coaches.

 

Sergio Garcia has changed his putting grip two or three times a round before. Wouldn't classify him as a "weekend hack".

 

Michelle is one of the many young golfers who found success early in their career and had trouble handling it. Thing is, she's made enough money to where golfing can now just be a hobby for her, and if she plays well, its just an added bonus.

[MelloYello]

 

Sergio Garcia has changed his putting grip two or three times a round before. Wouldn't classify him as a "weekend hack".

 

Michelle is one of the many young golfers who found success early in their career and had trouble handling it. Thing is, she's made enough money to where golfing can now just be a hobby for her, and if she plays well, its just an added bonus.

 

I think there's a significant difference between bouncing between grips and the kind of stuff MW busts out.

 

Not sure what to make of the money and profit aspect. I'm not sure that endorsement money counts in a conversation about real gold ability. ;)

[Awsi Dooger]

Plenty of margin for error in the LPGA as opposed to the PGA. The top players monopolize the wins and money list, and the second tier as I define it for betting purposes drops to only 40ish players.

 

To avoid Q School you basically need to finish within the Top 100 on the money list. Michelle obviously would earn sponsors exemptions even if she were much lower on the priority list than currently.

 

Her struggle could be to maintain within the Top 70, to qualify for overseas events at the end of one season and beginning of the next, along with the CME finale. Those players have a huge jump on the rest of the field toward maintaining status and priority, since those are no-cut events.

 

Last year Michelle stayed within the Top 70 based on only two relatively high finishes, in the Lotte event and the US Open. She blew a chance at a cheap high finish yesterday in a big money event.

 

Her drop in form is easily identified via checking one category...greens in regulation. During her mechanical stinger season of 2014, Michelle led the tour in that category for much of the year, and finished third. The Top 10s and two victories naturally flowed. She was in very little jeopardy from hole to hole beginning in late 2013, as I reported at the time.

 

Last year in 2015 Michelle dropped to 50th in greens in regulation. Now she is a ghastly 128th in that stat, thanks to David Leadbetter and his preference for a longer flowing swing.

 

Classic example of conventional wisdom being brutally wrong. A lanky player like Michelle with so many moving parts and probematic swing angles is far better suited to a short robotic swing that gets the ball in play and onto the green, no matter how often the simpleton commentators complain that it's not as nice looking as her teenage swing.

 

Notice that Lexi now hits the ball considerably lower than years ago, and it has translated to improved greens in regulation.

[Bad9]

I think we have passed the high water mark of Wie's career. Like Kymar I don't see anything that indicates she can suddenly get it all together and be a dominant player.

[Timanator]

Wie, Hee Young, Lydia all with leddbetter. Looking at the results it really makes you think.

[Pendragon63]

She managed to finally break 70 on Friday but I don't think she is out of the woods. T36 is a horrible finish after having a realistic chance to win.

 

 

 

IMO she clowns around and doesn't take the game very serious. I believe her putting experiments are little more than teenage rebellion, attempts at asserting her autonomy. There's no way BJ is down with all that bending over and crouching. But there's nothing he can do about it!

 

I can't speak to her relationship with her dad or whatever psychological factors may be at play but her temporary fixes are the stuff of weekend hacks. I can't believe a person with her ability can't go to a legitimate mentor and work on fundamentals.

 

I mean, seriously, an avid reader of Golf Digest can tell you what she's doing is silly. I'd hate to think what's going through the mind of real swing coaches.

The best thing Wie could do is to get away from her dad, but that won't happen. Since her US Open win in 2014, her game has been simply pitiful. She had no top ten's in 2015, and so far this year she's missed 3 cuts in 8 events, and her best finish has been a T25. This weekend she's T53 through Saturday...but OOPS! She just triple-bogied the first hole, to drop to T65!

Wie's career is a testament to how a domineering, know-it-all father can really screw things up for a daughter who, not that long ago, appeared to be on her way to be one of the greatest ever.

Oh, we have an update...after the triple on #1, she just bogied #2...now T71 and counting.

[legitimategolf]

It's time for another round of Will Bowditch Break 80? Michelle Wie Edition. :(

[hebsan]

She just WD'd

[Pendragon63]

She just WD'd

That's not a surprise. She's made a habit out of withdrawing when she's playing poorly. Today she cited neck spasms as the reason after completing 15 holes in 11 over par. A quick Google check comes up with at least 6 WD's since June 2013, at which time she quit with just one hole to play in the second round of the Women's US Open. She was 11 over at that point, and sure to miss the cut, so she took the easy way out.

Her most questionable withdrawal came at the Ginn Tribute in 2007 when she was 14 over with 2 holes to play, citing a "tweaked wrist". There was widespread speculation at the time that Wie quit so as not to risk losing her playing privileges for the rest of the year since, as a non-member of the LPGA at the time, a score of 88 or higher would have caused that. But then, to make matters worse, after not being able to play just 2 more holes because of this injury, Wie was seen hitting balls two days later at the next tour stop, and was heavily criticized, most notably by Annika Sorenstam.

I suppose to Miss Wie a WD looks better than a "Missed Cut" next to her name.

[Awsi Dooger]

When I checked live scoring yesterday afternoon and Michelle was in last place at +11 for the round with several holes remaining, I was hoping she would shoot 90.

 

Something really embarrassing, a jolt to get her away from this absurd long loose swing.

 

I didn't doubt that she would find an excuse to withdraw and not post a score. I didn't do any research and don't know if there was any hint of legitimacy. I don't care. Golf Channel during the telecast dropped the ball by failing to announce Michelle's score at the time of the withdrawal. That's what happens when you get the backup crew out there, afraid to make waves. Judy and Gannon would have said something.

 

Hours later on tape I watched Charley Hoffman with a wonderfully compact powerful backswing win the Texas Open. I wondered how it was humanly possible that David Leadbetter and Co. somehow believe a lanky 6-1 woman should be using a backswing that is often a foot and a half longer than Hoffman uses?

 

Idiocy

 

When I saw Michelle at +11 yesterday I checked her stats. She was obviously dialing way back off the tee, with an average driving distance for the event at roughly 230 yards. Yet her fairways hit was barely over 50% at 29 for 53, and her greens in regulation was the typical disaster for 2016 at 43 for 69.

 

Those stats were wiped away once she withdrew, but those were the specifics.

 

Sigh. It was such stress free golf when I followed Michelle at events in Florida in late 2013 and through 2014. Short swing, low ball flight, and high percentage greens in regulation. Her excellent short game took care of the rare green she missed. Putting was tentative and mediocre, but that's a major improvement from where it was prior to the stance switch in November 2012. Even last November at Ocala wasn't bad, even though Michelle had partially betrayed the stinger reliance. It was still a tight swing with not much dispersion or trouble potential.

 

That changed radically when I saw her in Ocala this year. I described it here. Mo Martin in the same group was like radar. Michelle's shot could start out anywhere. And no reasonable hope it would change with added reps.

 

It doesn't matter what Michelle's swing looked like at age 14 or whatever. Leadbetter and Rankin and all the other low percentage goofs need to get that idea out of their head. You have to default to wide scope logic. Michelle is more than 10% above the ideal height for a female golfer. To put that in perspective, a player on the opposite end of the 10% would be below 5 feet tall. Michelle needs as few moving parts as possible.

 

Find a version of the 2014 swing that doesn't stress her hip, or whatever, if that's the claim, that she couldn't use that swing anymore due to physical concerns. I still don't buy it. Michelle had to be incredibly patient to forego her flexibility and length on so many shots in favor of stingers. Her camp needed to convince her that patience with a shorter swing was imperative. Naturally there's going to be blowback. I have no idea why that final round at Kraft in 2014 received so much scrutiny. Lexi drained a midrange birdie putt on #1 and continued to putt well above her norm. She just as easily could have yipped 2 or 3 footers all day, per her norm and like the final round this year. Michelle played her typical round with that style and merely was outplayed by someone who was in peak form. Who cares? Two months later they were paired again in the third round of the US Open. Lexi wobbled and Michelle put her away en route to the title. Yet for some reason that final round at Kraft continues to receive mention for how it played out in Lexi's favor, with Michelle sacrificing distance, yet Rankin can't remember within two years margin for error when Michelle switched to the tabletop method.

[Pendragon63]

Those neck spasms must have really been something. The neck bothered her enough that she had to quit last Sunday...after being +11 through 15 holes. Now here we are a few days later and, lo and behold, Wie is back in the field for this week's event. This woman is rapidly losing whatever credibility she may have had. Is she's playing like crap, she quits...over, and over, and over...

[rtran]

sorry but michelle sucks and wont pass Q school if she goes back

[rockinar]

I've long been a fan of Michelle Wie ( since she was 13 )

but now have concerns that, at current form when her

US Open exemption runs out in a few years, she'll be facing

Q School. Will she never, no matter what, consider a new

Coach/Teacher?

 

 

With her current game, I don't think she would make it through Q. She will obviously get sponsor exemptions. But unless she finds some game she is going to have decisions to make.

 

Her current best stat is WDing with 3 holes to go.

[Shilgy]

Maybe we are all piling on the wrong player. Or should at least also turn our attention to Yani Tseng. Can she make it through Q school? A few short years ago she was hailed as a possible all time great-sound familiar?

Tseng

139 CME rank

$14,228 ytd earnings

60T high finish

 

Wie

90 CME rank

$39,477 ytd earnings

25th high finish

 

Just sayin'

[Bad9]

Maybe we are all piling on the wrong player. Or should at least also turn our attention to Yani Tseng. Can she make it through Q school? A few short years ago she was hailed as a possible all time great-sound familiar?

Tseng

139 CME rank

$14,228 ytd earnings

60T high finish

 

Wie

90 CME rank

$39,477 ytd earnings

25th high finish

 

Just sayin'

 

I get your point but no one talked about Tseng until she was actually winning, especially majors. Wie was anointed the best female golfer ever before she ever turned pro or really even dominated the amateur ranks. Given that I would say Tseng has had a much, much greater fall than Wie.

[Shilgy]

Maybe we are all piling on the wrong player. Or should at least also turn our attention to Yani Tseng. Can she make it through Q school? A few short years ago she was hailed as a possible all time great-sound familiar?

Tseng

139 CME rank

$14,228 ytd earnings

60T high finish

 

Wie

90 CME rank

$39,477 ytd earnings

25th high finish

 

Just sayin'

 

I get your point but no one talked about Tseng until she was actually winning, especially majors. Wie was anointed the best female golfer ever before she ever turned pro or really even dominated the amateur ranks. Given that I would say Tseng has had a much, much greater fall than Wie.

I agree. For all the hype Wie never really got there. As a pro. And I hate using the "hype" word because it was not like it has been with many rookies/young players in golf or other sports. As young as 13 she had the results to earn the promotion. Unfortunately she has not performed as a pro as expected. Tseng on the other hand came in and dominated-for a very short time relatively. And now she seems to be just floundering.

[Argonne69]

Maybe we are all piling on the wrong player. Or should at least also turn our attention to Yani Tseng. Can she make it through Q school? A few short years ago she was hailed as a possible all time great-sound familiar?

Tseng

139 CME rank

$14,228 ytd earnings

60T high finish

 

Wie

90 CME rank

$39,477 ytd earnings

25th high finish

 

Just sayin'

 

I get your point but no one talked about Tseng until she was actually winning, especially majors. Wie was anointed the best female golfer ever before she ever turned pro or really even dominated the amateur ranks. Given that I would say Tseng has had a much, much greater fall than Wie.

I agree. For all the hype Wie never really got there. As a pro. And I hate using the "hype" word because it was not like it has been with many rookies/young players in golf or other sports. As young as 13 she had the results to earn the promotion. Unfortunately she has not performed as a pro as expected. Tseng on the other hand came in and dominated-for a very short time relatively. And now she seems to be just floundering.

 

Yani is DFL in driving accuracy, 148 out of 148 (45.9%). She couldn't hit the Grand Canyon if she stood on the edge and hit a bucket of balls.

 

Michelle is 2 spots higher in the rankings, 146 out of 148. Pfffffft.

[Shilgy]

Maybe we are all piling on the wrong player. Or should at least also turn our attention to Yani Tseng. Can she make it through Q school? A few short years ago she was hailed as a possible all time great-sound familiar?

Tseng

139 CME rank

$14,228 ytd earnings

60T high finish

 

Wie

90 CME rank

$39,477 ytd earnings

25th high finish

 

Just sayin'

 

I get your point but no one talked about Tseng until she was actually winning, especially majors. Wie was anointed the best female golfer ever before she ever turned pro or really even dominated the amateur ranks. Given that I would say Tseng has had a much, much greater fall than Wie.

I agree. For all the hype Wie never really got there. As a pro. And I hate using the "hype" word because it was not like it has been with many rookies/young players in golf or other sports. As young as 13 she had the results to earn the promotion. Unfortunately she has not performed as a pro as expected. Tseng on the other hand came in and dominated-for a very short time relatively. And now she seems to be just floundering.

 

Yani is DFL in driving accuracy, 148 out of 148 (45.9%). She couldn't hit the Grand Canyon if she stood on the edge and hit a bucket of balls.

 

Michelle is 2 spots higher in the rankings, 146 out of 148. Pfffffft.

So she's got that going for her :)

 

both of them are nearing

 

[Shilgy]

And it's too bad imo. Both Yani and Michelle seem likable and the fans, in the past, always seemed to like both of them. Wie still draws one of the bigger crowds. I am hoping that they both somehow find their game. It is better for the LPGA imo.

[Shilgy]

Thread in Tour Talk had this mentioned as well but I thought it should be mentioned here as well. A Golf Channel survey of tour pros had different thoughts than many on wrx it appears:

• Sixty-four percent of LPGA players believe Michelle Wie will win another major, while 76 percent think Yani Tseng will win another tournament.
  

[Argonne69]

Thread in Tour Talk had this mentioned as well but I thought it should be mentioned here as well. A Golf Channel survey of tour pros had different thoughts than many on wrx it appears:

• Sixty-four percent of LPGA players believe Michelle Wie will win another major, while 76 percent think Yani Tseng will win another tournament.
  

 

Was it an anonymous survey?