After 10 holes on Saturday, Michelle Wie held a 3 stroke lead in the SBC classic - that score buoyed by playing her 2nd round Friday well before the 40 mph winds and driving rain that confronted most of the field. She seemed headed for her first win since (I cannot believe this as I am typing it) 2003.
The announcers on TGC were practically wetting their pants with excitement. Every stroke she made was masterful, every decision ingenious, every step an advance for mankind. One of the announcers even rhapsodized about how "beautifully she placed the putter head behind the ball". Fortunately, I had not eaten all day, so there was nothing for me to throw up as I listened to this mass worship of all things Michelle. The on-air talent were practically enshrining her in the hall of fame as she walked off the 10th green.
Let's go to the videotape as the players head to #11:
Michelle: (looking down at her IPhone that is ringing) "Hello"
Voice from Iphone: "Hi Michelle, this is REALITY calling"
Michelle: "Hello Reality, you seem to show up at the worst times"
Reality:" "Yep, I guess I do."
Alas, once again, the gifted (former) child prodigy folded like a cardboard suit in a monsoon. Going into the 16th hole she TRAILED eventual champion Angela Stanford by two strokes - that's right folks...a FIVE STROKE swing in five holes. On 16, she had a 3 footer (yep, that's right, 3 feet) to get to within one stroke, and (you guessed it), she choked it left.
Off the tee at 17, clearly a driver hole, MW yipped a 3 wood into the shizzle - at this point, she is unraveling faster than a ball of yarn in a Kansas twister. A weak approach falls short of the dancefloor, into the bunker. After getting out of the bunker, and missing the par put, she trails by 3 going into 18 - 6 strokes in 7 holes. Nonetheless, the folks at TGC cannot stop yapping about MW - complete with a montage of her previous DQ's ,weak finishes, and withdrawls. After the tee shots at 18, they continued genuflecting at the shrine of MW....all while the WINNER is walking down the 18th fairway. This is f&^%*&# pathetic.
Wait - it gets WORSE. The First interview by TGC (nice work, Steph) is with, NOT THE WIINNER, but with MW. Finally, when we get to Angela's interview, the 2nd question is "what did you think about playing against MW" ? Just SHOOT me...it cannot get any worse than this. I finally just changed the channel (sorry advertisers, blame the IDIOTS at TGC for ignoring the winner,,,)
This complete meltdown possibly surpassed Van de Velde's at the Open Championship. Once again, the exalted one failed to close. I've said it before, and will continue to say it - until she actually WINS something, can the media please shut up and focus on the other players who have MORE talent AND WIN ! I really hate to sound so anti anyone - but there are so many other richly deserving players on the LPGA tour who get no mention whatsoever.
CONGRATS to Angela Stanford who showed skill,guts, and chutzpah in closing out like a CHAMP...
Well, maybe the Spendulus plan has a few coins in there for LPGA marketing for players who have shown the ability to close the deal....
Interesting footnote - winner Angela Stanford wore (almost) the exact same outfit as she did when she won the Ochoa event last year - so expect to see her in a lot of blue shirts on Sunday this year...
Interesting footnote #2: What pro golfer has won three of their last seven starts ? If you guessed Angela Stanford, you win the prize. Gee, doesn't it seem like some major media outlet would be talking about THAT ????
The announcers on TGC were practically wetting their pants with excitement. Every stroke she made was masterful, every decision ingenious, every step an advance for mankind. One of the announcers even rhapsodized about how "beautifully she placed the putter head behind the ball". Fortunately, I had not eaten all day, so there was nothing for me to throw up as I listened to this mass worship of all things Michelle. The on-air talent were practically enshrining her in the hall of fame as she walked off the 10th green.
Let's go to the videotape as the players head to #11:
Michelle: (looking down at her IPhone that is ringing) "Hello"
Voice from Iphone: "Hi Michelle, this is REALITY calling"
Michelle: "Hello Reality, you seem to show up at the worst times"
Reality:" "Yep, I guess I do."
Alas, once again, the gifted (former) child prodigy folded like a cardboard suit in a monsoon. Going into the 16th hole she TRAILED eventual champion Angela Stanford by two strokes - that's right folks...a FIVE STROKE swing in five holes. On 16, she had a 3 footer (yep, that's right, 3 feet) to get to within one stroke, and (you guessed it), she choked it left.
Off the tee at 17, clearly a driver hole, MW yipped a 3 wood into the shizzle - at this point, she is unraveling faster than a ball of yarn in a Kansas twister. A weak approach falls short of the dancefloor, into the bunker. After getting out of the bunker, and missing the par put, she trails by 3 going into 18 - 6 strokes in 7 holes. Nonetheless, the folks at TGC cannot stop yapping about MW - complete with a montage of her previous DQ's ,weak finishes, and withdrawls. After the tee shots at 18, they continued genuflecting at the shrine of MW....all while the WINNER is walking down the 18th fairway. This is f&^%*&# pathetic.
Wait - it gets WORSE. The First interview by TGC (nice work, Steph) is with, NOT THE WIINNER, but with MW. Finally, when we get to Angela's interview, the 2nd question is "what did you think about playing against MW" ? Just SHOOT me...it cannot get any worse than this. I finally just changed the channel (sorry advertisers, blame the IDIOTS at TGC for ignoring the winner,,,)
This complete meltdown possibly surpassed Van de Velde's at the Open Championship. Once again, the exalted one failed to close. I've said it before, and will continue to say it - until she actually WINS something, can the media please shut up and focus on the other players who have MORE talent AND WIN ! I really hate to sound so anti anyone - but there are so many other richly deserving players on the LPGA tour who get no mention whatsoever.
CONGRATS to Angela Stanford who showed skill,guts, and chutzpah in closing out like a CHAMP...
Well, maybe the Spendulus plan has a few coins in there for LPGA marketing for players who have shown the ability to close the deal....
Interesting footnote - winner Angela Stanford wore (almost) the exact same outfit as she did when she won the Ochoa event last year - so expect to see her in a lot of blue shirts on Sunday this year...
Interesting footnote #2: What pro golfer has won three of their last seven starts ? If you guessed Angela Stanford, you win the prize. Gee, doesn't it seem like some major media outlet would be talking about THAT ????
