"Wie, meanwhile, might have the best of two worlds."
Doug Ferguson says that with "as much focus on the runner-up as the winner," it won't be remembered as a special year in golf. This, I'm not so sure about:
For all the grousing about the FedEx cup, it delivered the ultimate Cinderella in Heath Slocum, who qualified for the playoffs by the slimmest of margins, then won the opening event over Woods, Steve Stricker, Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els. The last three playoff events were won by the top three players in the world ranking — Woods, Mickelson and Stricker. So something is working.
The ultimate Cinderella?
This was brilliant and perhaps the least talked about great development of 2009:
Wie, meanwhile, might have the best of two worlds. She appears to be loving everything about college life at Stanford — something hardly any of her peers ever experienced — and she had a blast on the course, too, winning for the first time and playing a key role in the Americans' victory in Solheim Cup.
Remember the old days when folks said the Wie's needed to rip a page out of Earl's playbook in shaping Michelle's career. I don't think we'll hear that for a while.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 08:20 PM
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Reader Comments (7)
Having trouble finding any of those guys these days...
Go Michelle!!!
I was not a supporter of Michelle V 1.0.0 nor of the gifts she was given, Mega-Endorsements (for a woman with no history except the Publinks), exemptions into the men's tournaments - all based on merely a marketable frame and beautiful golf swing, greedy handlers and nightmare parents.
She finally shed all of that and then led a US team and won an individual tournament.
Cinderella story? NO, but a good story of redemption. Now if they just can avoid shoving her down our throats as the LPGA's saviour ...
2009 won't be remembered as a special year in golf...huh?!?!?
YE Yang, the first Asian born major champion. Michelle Wie's breakthrough. Cabrera becomes a multiple major winner and, perhaps, punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame. Glover wins his first major. And Watson's run will be remembered for a LONG time!!
Who is to say Glover doesn't go on to have a Hall of Fame worthy career? Won't his win at Bethpage be remembered for a long time then? UGH!!! I could go on and on about many of these events and happenings in golf in 2009. These guys just want the status quo to remain in tact in order to say golf had a good year. Tiger wins the all four majors, Phil wins the US Open, etc. History is being written each and every day, but these guys seem to miss it.
Furthermore, there was an article Geoff put on here a few a little while back about a golf writer saying that without Tiger in golf there are no heroes in the game. First off, this guy is de facto saying that the only golf that matters is the PGA Tour. That is WRONG!!! I would argue that there is more golf-related things effecting people's everyday lives in a much more dramatic fashion than the Tour. How about charities, foundations, The First Tee, Evans Scholars, etc. How about golf's support of the Wounded Warrior program, the National Amputee Golf Assocation? I could go on and on. Tiger's the only hero...give me a break!!!
In my opinion, these writers seem to be "making up stories" rather than using their brain, historical research, and some foresight.
Remember when Tiger won the 2008 US Open? The comments/stories were he was the most mentally tough person on the planet. No kidding...the planet. Again, give me a break!!!! Have any of you ever spent time with the miilitary, specifically the Special Forces in a combat zone? Comparing someone winning a golf tournament while in pain to the mental toughness of some of our true heroes risking their lives in the combat zone is a JOKE!!!
Again I could go on and on...but I will stop now.
Having said that, I am still not ready to jump on the bandwagon with those golf writers who excitedly proclaimed that "golf was never going to be the same again" after her first (and to date only) win...Let her scare Annika's or Lorena's records before you give her that kind of praise.
It was a great year for golf, a lot of very interesting and compelling-in-the-moment things. For instance, I'd never been a Tom Watson fan but in the course of 4 days I became one to the point that I still, from time to time, picture him making a better third shot chip, for the tap in and the win on 18. It's bizarre that I would have emotional (illogical) regrets over something that happened to someone else, whom I'd never before cared about.
It seemed magical, didn't it?
Still...much props to Mr. Cink...great clutch putt on 18.