Annika declines, Michelle is back, and controversy again ensues between the two at this week’s Samsung World Championship.
The Samsung World Championship was meant to bring the 20 best women golfers in the world together, but heads began to turn when the field was formally announced earlier this week. Michellie Wie who has only broken par once this entire season while fighting injuries was granted a sponsor’s exemption despite her lackluster performance in 2007. This has left Natalie Gulbis on the outside looking in although she rightfully qualified. Another notable "qualifier" was Annika Sorenstam who has missed much of the ‘07 season with an injured neck but was invited into the tournament. Yet, Annika has declined so another player who deserved the spot can compete.
Much of the controversy stems more from the shifting rules the tournament officials at Samsung amend every year to include the most popular women golfers in the world rather than identify them. Sorenstam’s invitation was extended due to a change which extendeds an automatic invitation to any active member of the LPGA Hall of Fame. The rule was previously worded to provide an exemption to the U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion. Annika’s move garnered tremendous respect from her peers. Lorena Ocha said, "What Annika decided to do, that’s something that I admire very much, I respect. She thought they were wrong to do it," Ochoa said. "That just shows how much class she has and how professional she is." Annika’s actions are even more admirable considering the fact that her management team at IMG runs the Samsung tournament.
Annika’s shining example also stands in stark contrast to Michelle Wie who is yet again in the field of an exclusive tournament despite her peers outperforming her throughout the season. Wie has slipped to 56th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Even with a last place finish in this tournament, Wie will more than double her meager season winnings of $9,000. Her 2007 season has included a suspcious withdrawl due to injury to seemingly prevent carding an 88 that would have disqualified her for the year. More controversey ensued after Wie’s withdrawl from Annika’s tournament due to injury only to be seen a day later practicing at the next tournament site. Wie has slowly begun losing the respect of her peers and the public. Once again her decision to continue with her sponsor’s exemption hasn’t endeared her to her peers.
Yet Samsung is far from the only sponsor to bend over backwards to accommodate Wie. The McDonald’s LPGA Championship spent 51 years without allowing an amateur into the field until 2005 when it allowed Michellie Wie an exemption inot the tournament. Fast forward a year later, the rules to the McDonald’s LPGA are again changed to provide an exemption to any professional that finished in the top five in any major - any guesses as to who got into the field with that? Even the staunch USGA wilted like a dead flower, allowing Wie exemptions into the U.S. Open rather than forcing her to qualify like all other competitiors. The examples are numerous and her performances are lackluster to say the least. What started out as an incredibly talented teenager attracting huge numbers of fans has quickly regressed to people gathering around to wait for the next train wreck.
So it’s time to play the blame game - who deserves the lion’s share? As easy (and entertaining) as it would be to place the blame solely on Wie, the Samsung officials should be stepping up to the firing line for their nonsense entry rules and unfair application. While the Samsung officials extended an "invitation" to active LPGA Hall of Famers, neither Julie Inkster nor Karrie Webb (both active LPGA Hall of Famers) were ever offered entry into the tournament. One can only imagine what permutation the rules will take on before next year’s event. Although no one could expect Samsung to retract the Wie’s invitation. One can only hope that no matter what the outcome of this week, they would be far more thoughtful in awarding their exemptions in the future. Yet why stop there? Why not simply increase the size of the field by five players allowing Wie, Sorenstam, Webb, Inkseter and Gulbis all into the field. That would barely dent the winnings per player and allow for a more competitive and exciting field for the players and fans. Samsung has already rewritten the rules each year to tailor the field, why not simply expand the field and stick to them?














I think a lot has been said and written about Michelle Wie accepting the invitation but one thing is for sure whatever happens I am definitely not going to hold her responsible for someone else’s mistake. If the main intention of the tournament was to have a limited field event where the best of the best through the year were to compete then it was completely wrong on their part to dole out any special exemptions in the first place. If they wanted to make the field more exciting then they might as well have increased the field strength like you have rightly suggested but what really bothers me is people looking to criticize Wie for her decision to accept the invitation.
Considering the sort of year that she has had it is not a surprise that she well try and latch on to every opportunity she is handed out and even though she may have not performed the way she might have wanted to I definitely don’t blame her for giving it a shot. Those who have an issue with talented players missing out definitely need to question the policy of these tournament organizers. It’s about time we cut the young Michelle Wie some slack and also hope that she recaptures some of her form.
Andy Brown
Comment by Andy Brown
— October 13, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
“20th Michelle Wie Th 79. Fr 79, Sat 77, +19 235″
Nice choice Samsung & LPGA. You have succeded in exposing this tournament as a farce. Your choice of allowing Wie to participate in this even really devalues the other player accomplishments.
You’ve sunk to an all-time low.
Congrats to Annika for her difficult decision to allow a more deserving player to compete.
Comment by John Stovall
— October 14, 2007 @ 11:54 am
Michelle needs to learn from Annika’s example. If Michelle can’t qualify like everyone else, she needs to show some maturity and wait until her game earns her a spot.
Michelle has become the Britney Spears of the LPGA.
Comment by Jason Broan
— October 14, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
The comparison to Britney is unfounded as she has had a lot of success. Even with the current train wreck that she is experiencing, her latest single is doing pretty good on the charts. What has Wie ever done except show that she may have had potential?
Samsung was wrong to invite Wie, but I lay just as much blame on Wie for accepting the invite. She knows that her game is garbage and she should have been a professional and said “Thank you, but I need to work my game out before accepting this”. Tough decisions reveal character, and this has revealed the Wie’s for what they are - self centered disrespectful buffoons without any class whatsoever.
But what do I know - I hear it is a fine line between 88 and 68.
Comment by Todd Poston
— October 15, 2007 @ 7:36 am
Wie should have bowed out. Annika once again shows why she is so highly respected. Wie is becoming a farce, and only watch-able to see how bad she does, instead of for her “great” ability. She need to face reality and act accordingly.
I think if tournaments are going to offer exemptions, then those exemptions should not take a slot away from a player that actually QUALIFIED to play. That way nobody loses face. Nobody will give a hoot about Michele Wie after a few more debacles like this last. She will become a has been before she reaches 20. Really sad actually.
Comment by Mike K.
— October 15, 2007 @ 8:11 am