Wie Already Over Par

[andyfox]

I think you're forgetting that it's the entertainment business. If the sponsor feels that it would be better for business to have Michelle Wie in the field, rather than John Doe, I think that's fine. I read a long story in today's paper about Wie shooting 79-68; I didn't read anything about anyone else who missed the cut. If more people, like you, preferred to see the local pros or somebody from the Asian tour, they'd have been given the sponsor's exemption. If it were my tournament, I'd much rather give a spot to Wie or, say, Jack Nicklaus, than the local pro or some guy who's #143 on the list, and I don't care that Wie and Nicklaus have no chance to win and will probably miss the cut.

#143 can pimp for Nike too. Problem is they don't want him.

[KudzuKing]

There is a balance to be struck, here.
Yes, it is the entertainment business; however, it is also a competition. It is the PGA Tour, not the " Sony's folks you'd most like to watch golf in Hawaii" Tour.
I think all-in-all, the tour does a pretty good job of striking this balance. A few sponsor's exemptions, some of which MUST be delegated to the #143 types, some of which Sony can do as they please.

I'd be more inclined to watch the Niners-Saints football game if they advertised, " Michael Jackson will start QB for Niners, Rosie O'Donnell for the Saints". But that just wouldn't be right... [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[JaredL]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you're forgetting that it's the entertainment business. If the sponsor feels that it would be better for business to have Michelle Wie in the field, rather than John Doe, I think that's fine. I read a long story in today's paper about Wie shooting 79-68; I didn't read anything about anyone else who missed the cut. If more people, like you, preferred to see the local pros or somebody from the Asian tour, they'd have been given the sponsor's exemption. If it were my tournament, I'd much rather give a spot to Wie or, say, Jack Nicklaus, than the local pro or some guy who's #143 on the list, and I don't care that Wie and Nicklaus have no chance to win and will probably miss the cut.

#143 can pimp for Nike too. Problem is they don't want him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Who do exemptions usually go to? Are they always used? I'm curious because I don't know and I would guess (in other words it would make the most sense to me) if they went to very good but one or two notches below tour level local players. If a guy from the same area as the tournament manages to use his knowledge of the course to make the cut then that would get the event a lot more attention in the local market than it otherwise would have gotten. It would also get a small amount of extra national attention for local hero type reasons. I could also see it going to legendary golfers who are no longer able to make it on the tour as you suggest.

Wie easily fits the first description. She's local (according to both standard and from Hawai'i usage) and has a small chance to make a huge run and make the cut and maybe even be within a couple shots of the leaders. I was in Hawai'i last year when she was playing in the women's Open (I think, it's the one where she was tied for the lead going into Sunday and had a terrible day) and people from there follow her progress closely. If she had made the cut the event would have gotten a lot more attention there. Nationally, obviously that would be true as well. I can't think of anyone better to use the exemption on for any events in the islands.

[HDPM]

Jack Nicklaus was exempt this week. An exemption he earned a couple of different ways. (PGA Championship winner before 1970, US Open winner before 1970, more than 20 career wins off the top of my head) He isn't competitive and chose not to play though. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Yes golf is in the entertainment business and isn't doing all that well. That is part of my concern. next year the Sony won't be on network TV and will have to come up with a greater percentage of the purse, because the Tour is going to squeeze the tournamnets. So there will be more pressure to have a sideshow. The Catch-22 is that golf got where it is by not being like every other sport. It isn't supposed to be a sideshow or spectacle. If golf goes down that path it will have more and more problems. As Kudzu pointed out below, some balance is required, and IMO Michelle has crossed the fine line from, "Oh that's nice" to "Is she going to do this AGAIN?"