With Lorena Ochoa’s retirement last week, many feel the LPGA Tour needs Michelle Wie to become the face of the women’s game sooner rather than later.
But unfortunately for the women’s tour, it appears Wie may not share their sense of urgency.
It’s no secret the LPGA Tour has been in rapid decline — with spectators and sponsors — for several years now. In 2010, of its 24 events, only 13 will be held in the United States. In 2004, there were 32 official events, 27 of which were held in the United States.
From a pure talent standpoint, one could argue the women’s game has never been deeper. The so-called “Asian Invasion” of recent years has produced five of the past nine major championship winners. Eleven of the top-20 players in the world now hail from that part of the world, including the new world No. 1, Jiyai Shin of South Korea.
But as former LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens so famously taught us, marketing top stars that don’t speak fluent English is a tough sell in America.
Enter Wie.
The 20-year-old Stanford student has been tapped for sporting superstardom ever since she was a missed chip-shot away from making the cut — and history — at the PGA Tour’s Sony Open as a 14-year-old amateur in 2004.
There’s no doubt Wie possesses the raw talent, good looks — and yes, language skills — to not only make up for the loss of Ochoa, but help attract millions of new fans.
Since junior high school Wie has been burdened with talk that she could one day do for the women’s game what Tiger Woods has done for the PGA Tour when he turned professional in 1996.
But unlike Woods, who spent his teen years beating up on the world’s top amateurs, Wie was competing against the top professionals in the world on a regular basis and contending for the game’s biggest championships.
Her career resume, and the perception that she is the product of overbearing golf parents, have led some to presume that she, like Woods, is nothing more than a golfing robot.
But upon closer inspection it appears she is actually living a double life; that of the No. 7 ranked female player in the world and themichellewie and ablackflamingo, her handle on Twitter and the title of her blog, respectively.
What the latter two reveal are an intelligent, seemingly well-balanced, 20-year-old college student with passions for fashion, art and cooking. And whether by design or not, her blog has no references to her golf.
Her digital personas don’t tell us the state of her putting, but they do reveal a young woman not consumed with golf 24/7, but one simply trying to live the life — as much as possible — of your typical 20-year-old.
So if and when Wie does emerge as the dominant female golfer on the planet, you get the sense the longer-than-expected wait could pay off if it means the women’s game inherits a more mature, well-rounded ambassador.
Sure, had Wie won the U.S. Women’s Open at 15 it would have meant untold millions for herself and the LPGA Tour, but at what cost?
During his Masters week press conference, Woods frequently referred to the “balance” he was seeking to regain in his life following his recent sex scandal.
Are there aspects to his path to greatness Woods would do differently now? Sacrifices he made at the expense of his “balance” he wishes he hadn’t made?
We sincerely doubt Woods will ever tell us, but we feel confident in saying that golf isn’t as important to Wie today as it was to Woods when he was 20.
It should also be pointed out that for all the criticism she has endured for failing to live up the expectations of others, Wie has as many professional victories (1) by the age of 20 as Tiger Woods had.
So while the LPGA might be in a hurry for Wie to grow up, when “ablackflamingo” decides it’s time for golf to become priority No. 1, we’re betting it’ll have been worth the wait.
Worth a read…
Bob Weeks of Score Golf takes a critical look at the RCGA’s move to re-brand itself as Golf Canada and how desperate times are for the organization.
LPGA Tour player Christina Kim is many things; shy is not one of them. Her racy new book providing details on wild parties and frank talk about her sex life is raising eyebrows in the golf world.
Another person never at a loss for words is Padraig Harrington. In this expansive Q&A with Golf Magazine, the Irish star discusses his “friendship” with Tiger Woods and why he blames himself and Lee Westwood for Europe’s loss at the 2008 Ryder Cup.
Quail Hollow Club President Johnny Harris tells the Charlotte Buisness Journal why this week’s PGA Tour stop has an undecided future beyond 2014, despite its popularity with players.