Women's Golfer Michelle Wie Should Stick to LPGA Tour

The young golfer phenomenon Michelle Wie is only 17 years old and she's already driving the ball well over 300 yards off the tee, which is a rare feat among females. It's this kind of feat that has impressed fans and helped her to enter several high profile men's tournaments. But should she be allowed to play with the men? The controversy rages and many fans boldly and openly proclaim "NO!" Angry PGA fans' list of reasons that Michelle Wie shouldn't be allowed in PGA events includes: taking another male's spot in the event, failing to win LPGA events, and perverting the nature of the game of golf.

In 2006, Michelle Wie has played in three men's PGA tournament events: 84 Lumber Classic, John Deere Classic, and the Sony Open in her home state of Hawaii. Wie failed to make the cut in 2 of the events and had to withdraw from the other, although it was likely that she would have missed the cut anyways after firing an opening round 77. After failing to be anything close to competitive in these events, it has become clear the Michelle Wie is taking a professional male's spot in the tour event while failing to give promoters a legitimate excuse for the exchange. Wie has entered all three PGA events in 2006 under a sponsor's exemption. This kind of exchange is failing to take into account that another professional (male) is having his livelihood taken from him by a competitor who has consistently failed to offer up any reason for her exemptions.

Even more of an issue for fans that don't want Wie in PGA events is her consistent failure to be a winner on her own tour, the LPGA tour. In 8 LPGA tour events in 2006, Wie has finished in the top 10 in 6 events and in the top 3 in 4 events. However, despite being at the top in the few events that she has played, she has yet to win a tournament. For a female to challenge the male tour, a level of mastery among her own peers should automatically be a requirement. Wie has yet to be a winner and at times has looked her age on the course with the ladies tour. Her lack of dominance and victory on her own tour leaves many wondering why Michelle Wie is allowed to play with the men's tour at all. If any one of the ladies should be allowed to consistently play on the PGA tour it should certainly be Anika Sorenstam, who has dominated the LPGA tour at will and appears to need a high challenge.

Unlike Michelle Wie, Anika Sorenstam has mastered her short game and mid-range irons and appears to understand that golf isn't just a game of power. Wie has ultimately relied on her power of the tee to yield the little success that she has had. Her inconsistent scoring can ultimately be tied back to her reliance on her power stroke which is the essence of inconsistency in golf. Wie has perverted the true nature of golf by excelling at one facet of the game and completely failing at all others. Her failure to have a well-rounded game is a disgrace to the challenging nature of the game. In the minds of many fans, Michelle Wie has reduced the game to nothing more than a long drive challenge with a bucket of range balls. If anything, golf is the opposite of Wie's nature. Just ask Tiger Woods who used a driver only once during his impressive 2006 British Open victory. Woods' mastery of all facets of the game is why he's the quintessential professional on the PGA. Wie lacks this appreciation and mastery of the game and it would be an outrage to allow her to play on the PGA.

After all, the word golf is an acronym for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden. Michelle Wie may yet emerge into a fantastic player who could possibly challenge the likes of the men's tour, but for now most fans feel that Wie should stick to the LPGA and work on her mastery of her short game and mid-range irons. While Wie works on her game, most fans wouldn't want to completely leave to women out in the cold. Most fans would agree that Anika Sorenstam would be a nice addition to several PGA events.