I've compiled a timeline of the troubles surrounding Wie over the past week. The main sources for this are two articles by Ron Sirak in Golf World, here and here. The timeline begins the week prior to the Ginn Tribute and leads up to Tuesday when Tour officials kicked Wie's parents out of an area they weren't supposed to be in.
Tuesday, May 22
Wie arrives at site of Ginn Tribute and begins practicing. LPGA Tour members aren't allowed to practice at a tournament site until 5 p.m. on the Sunday prior to the tournament's start; Wie, not a member of the Tour, is there five days earlier and practicing. Some players complain to Tour officials, but it's a loophole in the rules.
Tuesday, May 29
Wie plays the Ginn Tribute pro-am. Afterward, her playing partners allegedly complain about her standoffish behavior during the pro-am. Ginn officials are unhappy.
Thursday, May 31
Day 1 of the Ginn Tribute. Wie quits her first round after 16 holes, when she is 14-over and in danger of having the "Rule of 88" invoked. That rule bans non-Tour members from LPGA events the remainder of the year if the golfer shoots 88 or higher in a Tour round. Wie cites her previously injured wrists as the reason for her withdrawal, but LPGA Tour members are skeptical. Ginn officials reportedly feel slighted, believing their exemption to Wie went unappreciated.
Saturday
Two days after saying she quit the Ginn Tribute because of "tweaking" a wrist injury, Wie is practicing at Bulle Rock, site of the LPGA Championship. This angers LPGA Tour members on two fronts: Once again, a non-Tour member, Wie is getting to practice at a tournament site before any LPGA Tour members are allowed to do so. Also, if her wrists were the reason she pulled out of the Ginn, why is she already back hitting balls? Do her wrists hurt or not? Many LPGA Tour members feel Wie misled everyone about the true reason she withdrew from the Ginn.
Monday
Wie plays in the McDonald's LPGA Championship pro-am. A Baltimore Sun reporter wrote:
Late in the round, Wie's energy level was nearly nonexistent, like a thermometer dropped in a bucket of ice. On the second-to-last hole, she actually plopped herself onto the grass and sat cross-legged in the middle of the fairway, fingering one of the dolls that dangled from her golf bag.For a moment, Wie didn't seem to notice that her back was turned to one of her playing partners, who stood just a few feet away and was addressing his ball. She rose to her feet and the group continued the round.
Just as puzzling, on two of the last three holes, Wie didn't even attempt a putt, scooping her ball as soon as a playing partner sank his and walking onto the next tee.
Following the round, Wie's amateur playing partners complain about her behavior, although whether it was directly to LPGA Tour officials is unclear. McDonald's representatives are said to be very unhappy about the complaints.
LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens confronts Wie's manager and parents about Wie's behavior. The conversation allegedly is heated, but nobody publicly comments. Wie later says the commissioner got "bad information."
Tuesday
Annika Sorenstam publicly calls out Wie, saying, "I just feel there's a little bit of lack of respect and class just to kind of leave a tournament like that and come out and practice here." Wie responds that she done nothing that requires an apology.
Also on Tuesday, an LPGA Tour rules official orders Wie's parents and physiotherapist off the practice range, citing a Tour rule that prohibits anyone other than the player's coach and caddie to be on the practice range with her. According to Sirak, "that discussion also went less than smoothly."
Sirak concludes his most recent article by saying this:
The problem Wie has now that is perhaps greater than her wrist injury is that LPGA players are growing weary of her special treatment, and LPGA officials took a major step toward responding to those concerns among its constituency by drawing a line in the grass concerning several issues Tuesday at Bulle Rock.
Stay tuned ...
Comments
There was always more hype than performance from Wie. She has earned more money than most people do in a life time and she has never won an event. Time to kick her out and let her earn her way back, though I doubt she has the motivation.
I feel Wie is a disgrace to women’s golf. Not only is her manners poor but so are her shots; also, under no circumstances should she be allowed to play in men’s tournament. Go back to university girl, your game and reputation are tarnished.
Wie is another example of ’spoiled’ children, whose parents are living through them vicaiously. While at times his behavior is questionable, Tiger proves that you can be very talented, work hard, win a lot and still be professional. It’s time for Wie’s parents to let her grow up and become her own person.
The LPGA owes Ms Wie some help. Send here back to school and let her mature. Unfortunately, I smell greed here so the promoters may be reluctant to help the “poor” child.
Michelle Wie is a child prodigy and I don’t mean just in Golf. She is still a very young girl trying to be an adult when she should and has a right to be a teenager in the publics eye. Torn between parents who want to market her now and big business throwing money at her has derailed this young girl and her goals in life, not theirs. Yes she has make some bad decissions, but look who has been influceing them, and the LPGA is not alone in seeking publicity to increase the prize money for the future. Thats a good thing. Let her be a teenager, back off mon,dad,Sony, LPGA and Miss Sorenstam. Since Sorenstam has opened the door to criticism let me comment on her life style as Professional Golfer who never had a real marriage and family, like taking time off to have a few kids. If she had she would not be on her high horse throne right now. My admiration goes out to the ladies who did break from the Pro circuit to have a family and enjoy all the aspects of it and return to golf to face the hardships of getting in shape to compete. Lets say Inkster,Diaz, Malone, and Lopez never got pregnant, never stopped playing golf, guess who would be setting the records. And they still will qualify in the Hall of FAme because they did the hard way, they earned it, they lived their life as they wanted. So Mz. Sorenstam, back off. To each his or her own, if you don’t like it, leave the USA.
Wie is getting terrible guidance from her parents. Nothing but mis-steps unless you judge them merely on the monetary scale. Children have to be taught to have good manners and to mature. Her parents apparently have been negligent.
As for the bashing of Sorenstam, wrong direction friend. Regardless of her marital/children bearing choices, Sorenstam has earned all golf fan’s respect for her accomplishments, professionalism and behavior. She has the right and responsibilty to speak out as a leading player in the LPGA.
Period.
Great discussion! A more global overview shows that Wie is merely fulfilling the promise of Erik Erikson by rebelling against what she is unsure about- wether she wants to actually DO THIS for the forseeable future. Erikson holds that peer groups and validation, loyalty and group identity, sexual relationships (not just casual sex), and all the demands that those tasks ask must be dealt with successfully in order to move on in social development.
Michelle Wie is clearly rebelling in numerous ways at present. Specifics are unimportant, except to those she effects. It is clear she is effecting many, but she does not have the capacity to process or care about that. Simply, thats why society does not ask children to do what she has been asked to do- function in an adult manner in an adult setting. Child-athlete burnout? hah!! More like predictable developmental rebellion.
And Sorenstam is 100% correct. Wie needs to be called out, and whoever is responsible for exploiting her needs to take notice. Their golden goose is about to turn to clay.
I’m from the State of Hawaii and we are proud of what Michelle has been able to accomplish in her short golf career. To her critics that feel she’s not a good golfer, her amateur record speaks for itself.
While we are proud of what Michelle has accomplished, we don’t necessarily agree with how her parents, especially her father, have handled and marketed her for their own self satisfaction.
Additionally, the LPGA and PGA, including the golfers, have benefited from her presence at various events. Check out the sales receipts at tounaments she participated in.
As for you, Michelle, your home state has supported you through the years, even though many of us don’t agree on what you’re doing or how you’re doing it. We can continue to make excuses for you because of your tender age but thee is going to be a time (I think it has already arrived) that you are going to have to grow up and show the world that you’re an adult and can act like one.
You are in a very envious position of being a multi-millionaire at such a young age. Most kids your age (or adults) would love to have a taste of what you have. You have been blessed with talent. What you lack right now is maturity.
What has happened thte last few days has sullied your reputation and your honest and integrity are in question. No amount of money will buy back what you may have lost. As an admirer, supporter and fellow citizen from the State of Hawaii, my advise to you is that you start mending fences and try to salvage your repute. It’s not too late.
Wie is typical product of Nike marketing and PR. She is too young to decide about herself and acts like doll in others hands – especially her sponsors and parents. It is sad to see next bright career broken by child parents greed. Maybe the shock therapy is the best way for Michelle – LPGA should ban Wie for a year to allow her findout proper proportions betwen being a star and being a full of respect sportsman.
Hi.
its time to let wie gain her entry into tournaments..yes qualify on Mon/tuesday.No more exemptions.all th eother girls did it..why not Michelle.pls let her grow up/might be good to attend college for 2yrs afterall
sincerely/Bala
I guess I fit in more with Michelle than with the LPGA and other alleged professional tours. I am just coming back from an injury to play golf and have been playing now for about five weeks. Progress is very slow…so I would have to side with Michelle and oppose the rules officials. If Michelle is doing anything wrong here…I guess my ONLY scoring a PB 98 for 18 holes is not worthy of anyone’s sympathy or support either! If Michelle is spoiled…I hate to think of what other think of me thinking I should be scoring in the 80s after my first month – with new golf clubs! I guess each of us has our own opinions…but coming from Michelle’s side of the track…I would strongly encourage Michelle to keep ignoraning those who are tooting their own selfish horns rather than looking at logic. After all, I’ve taken about ten months after leg injuries to feel confident enough to get back in the game – and if that isn’t encouraged for both Michelle and myself – I guess with my over 88 score I should hang my clubs up for another year, work on my game, and shoot an 87. Sorry folks…life doesn’t work that way! We all have to take the positives from our situations and turn them into more positives…and for that, I fully support and applaude Michelle’s noble efforts. I only wish I could play as well as her – even I have had a 10 or higher at least once this spring and didn’t let that bother me! It all takes time to get back into the game…and even with a 98, I am looking to see when I can turn that into an 88 or better! GO MICHELLE GO! Do it for you and for me!
I have watched Michelle’s attempts to become a professional golfer and with the help of her parents, it has been an exercise in futility. They have used her, as a young golfer, for their own financial gain. And as a result she has become resentful of those around her and has become petulant. You seldom see her smile. She always appears to be sneering at those around her. I would predict, if I had the ability to look into the furture, that she will waste all her inate ability to play the game of golf and become a complete failure in life.