Wie Says She Won't Play At Orlando Florida Golf Course
This time around, anyway, Michelle Wie won't be making the commute to an Orlando Florida golf course from her native Hawaii.
Despite attempts from tournament officials to woo the biggest rising star in golf, Wie turned down a sponsor invitation to play in the inaugural LPGA Ginn Open in April.
It comes down to simple accounting. Wie, 16, isn't a member of the LPGA and can accept only six sponsor exemptions per year into regular events, not counting the major championships. Ginn officials received an e-mail from her father, B.J. Wie, sending his regrets to the Florida golf course.
Instead, Wie told tournament representatives that his daughter plans to play in both of the LPGA events in Hawaii next month, the SBS Open at Turtle Bay and the Fields Open.
"She wants to support her local tournaments," Ginn spokesman Ryan Julison said. "We're disappointed, but we understand." In my opinion Ryan Julison is a cry baby!
The Ginn event, to be staged at Reunion Resort on a Florida golf course on April 27-30, has the second-biggest purse on the LPGA circuit with $2.5 million and is expected to draw most of the game's top stars, including Annika Sorenstam, who has an endorsement deal with the host Ginn Company.
Ginn officials were hoping to persuade Wie to play, given that the headquarters of her swing coach, David Leadbetter, are located perhaps a mile from Reunion. However, Wie will be in the middle of the spring semester at her high school in Honolulu.
Wie missed the cut last week playing against the men in the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii, although she tied or beat 27 players -- including major-championship winners Craig Stadler, Shaun Micheel and Todd Hamilton -- plus the past two winners at Disney World, Lucas Glover and Ryan Palmer.
As it stands, the Ginn officials again have both of their sponsor exemptions left to distribute. An early sponsor exemption was issued to Tampa-area teenager Dakoda Dowd, but she since has been given special dispensation by the tour, Julison said. Morgan Pressel, another top Florida teen who turned pro in the fall, also has been granted full LPGA membership and thus won't need an exemption in order to play.
"We've got a few creative things in mind," Julison the cry baby said.
Looks like Ginn needs some help on this Florida golf course.
Despite attempts from tournament officials to woo the biggest rising star in golf, Wie turned down a sponsor invitation to play in the inaugural LPGA Ginn Open in April.
It comes down to simple accounting. Wie, 16, isn't a member of the LPGA and can accept only six sponsor exemptions per year into regular events, not counting the major championships. Ginn officials received an e-mail from her father, B.J. Wie, sending his regrets to the Florida golf course.
Instead, Wie told tournament representatives that his daughter plans to play in both of the LPGA events in Hawaii next month, the SBS Open at Turtle Bay and the Fields Open.
"She wants to support her local tournaments," Ginn spokesman Ryan Julison said. "We're disappointed, but we understand." In my opinion Ryan Julison is a cry baby!
The Ginn event, to be staged at Reunion Resort on a Florida golf course on April 27-30, has the second-biggest purse on the LPGA circuit with $2.5 million and is expected to draw most of the game's top stars, including Annika Sorenstam, who has an endorsement deal with the host Ginn Company.
Ginn officials were hoping to persuade Wie to play, given that the headquarters of her swing coach, David Leadbetter, are located perhaps a mile from Reunion. However, Wie will be in the middle of the spring semester at her high school in Honolulu.
Wie missed the cut last week playing against the men in the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii, although she tied or beat 27 players -- including major-championship winners Craig Stadler, Shaun Micheel and Todd Hamilton -- plus the past two winners at Disney World, Lucas Glover and Ryan Palmer.
As it stands, the Ginn officials again have both of their sponsor exemptions left to distribute. An early sponsor exemption was issued to Tampa-area teenager Dakoda Dowd, but she since has been given special dispensation by the tour, Julison said. Morgan Pressel, another top Florida teen who turned pro in the fall, also has been granted full LPGA membership and thus won't need an exemption in order to play.
"We've got a few creative things in mind," Julison the cry baby said.
Looks like Ginn needs some help on this Florida golf course.
posted by John at
7:34 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home