That Hot Chick On the LPGA Is Two Shots Back, Update

Well, yeah, she's not two shots back anymore. Everyone's favorite cell-phone available LPGA star Anna Rawson was two shots back of the lead yesterday, but she finished with a 73 and fired a 75 today to find herself in 24th place. That doesn't mean you can't go check out her LPGA profile picture (it's actually kinda funny).

Angel Stanford is leading by four shots heading to Sunday in the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. No PGA Tour golf this weekend. Get used to LPGA updates.

Michelle Wie Makes Correct Decision

As I wrote over at the FanHouse, Michelle Wie will enter LPGA Q-School in one of her better decisions ever.

Wie has struggled with life on the sponsor's exemption tour, with expectations none of us will ever know and without a solid knowledge of how to close tournaments. The last two years golf finally caught up with her and she hasn't handled it well. Now a college student at Stanford, Wie is trying to balance a college girl's life with an athletic icon's responsibilities.

Hopefully she can qualify so we can all drop the jabs at her. She seems like a decent kid that has landed a bad rap mainly because she has horrible representation. A full year on the LPGA might be just what the 'ol doc ordered.

The LPGA Backs Down

You ever been with your buddies and brought up such a moronic idea that it doesn't even merit a response? If so, you might work for the LPGA.

Luckily, after announcing that next year you would be basically forced to learn the flawless (and easy!) language of English to continue playing golf on the LPGA, that little golf organization decided that might not be the best idea.

Today, they announced that contrary to the initial reports, there would be no penalty or suspension from the tour if you failed to pass an oral English exam. That noise you just heard was half the LPGA sighing.

Honestly, who didn't see this coming? The idea seemed so elementary that it was only days before someone brought up the legality of such a request and the LGPA would have to re-evaluate.

At least they got their 15 minutes of fame. You couldn't get sports journalists as a whole this heated about the LPGA if they had an orgy next week on the 15th hole.

More on the LPGA Language Thing

It's been a day since Golfweek broke the story of the LPGA implementing an "English only" policy and it's allowed me some time to reflect.

Even though I still find it unnecessary, I can partially understand their reasoning. The LPGA is a business that isn't exactly killing it, so anything that could help boost their image to sponsors, businesses, pro-am partners would be great.

I talked to a good friend of mine that is a member of the LPGA and she said she loved the idea and was excited for the change. Granted she is an American golfer on the LPGA so it doesn't really affect her, but if the members are happy, it's probably going to be good for everyone.

My buddy and extremely exceptional journalist Ryan Wilson takes the other side of this argument. He does a great job with it and I thought I'd pass that along.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you have any opinion on why the LPGA would do this? Drop a line and I'll post some of the responses.

Michelle Wie Has a Great Grasp on What is Really Happening

I'm not convinced that people even care about Michelle Wie anymore, but her t-12 at the Women's Canadian Open was Wie's best finish on American soil since 2006.

Always one to say things that make sense, Wie pointed out she had a great season in 2008.

"I feel like I gained a lot of confidence in myself again this year," Wie said. "Being pain-free in the later part of the year, I started feeling confident. From May on, it's getting better and better and now in the offseason, I know what to work on for next year."

Still avoiding the "will you be going to Q-School" question like Kobe Bryant does the Rockies, Wie will have some decisions to make in the coming months. I'm almost positive she will have to try and earn her card seeing as though this Stanford thing isn't really getting her anywhere and her golf has suffered since that decision.

If she's going to be serious about this playing professional golf thing, it might be time for the nearly 19-year-old Wie to give up on the college fling and try making birdies.

Maybe she could be good again.

Three Eagles In One Round and Shoot 72

Not to harp on Laura Diaz, but check out her second round scorecard from the Women's British Open.

Three eagles, a double-bogey, a birdie and five bogeys. Somewhere, John Daly is jealous.

Women Are Really Good At Letting Things Go

Nothing defines a woman better than a person that has the great ability to let things go. They never nag, they never hold on to things and they definitely never make a bigger deal out of something than it really is.

Right on cue, Laura Diaz showed exactly what I'm talking about today at the Women's British Open.

A member of the British press asked if she ever “tackled” Dottie Pepper about her comments at the Solheim Cup.

“No, do you want me to?” Diaz said with a laugh. “It would be my pleasure.”

The row between Pepper, Diaz and the rest of Team USA started during last year’s Solheim Cup when Pepper referred to U.S. players as “chokin’ freakin’ dogs” on air Saturday afternoon when she thought the broadcast had gone to commercial break.

“To be honest, I don’t think to this day I will ever in my life do an interview with her,” said Diaz. “It really affected me, and Solheim wasn’t a time to talk about it.”

“Dottie was a family member to me,” Diaz said, “and I don’t even see her as a friend anymore.”

See, allow the comment to sink in, talk about it and then let it go. That's how most women resolve situations. Never have I know a female friend of mine to break off friendships and such because of things like "I heard her talking about me" or "I don't approve of her life decisions." Nope, it's always just forgive and forget.

Some Early Scores From the Women's British, Like You Care

It's a slow golf day, with only two PGA Tour tournaments beginning, so I thought it would be alright to just visit the Women's British for a moment.

Annika Sorenstam, who has no problem calling Michelle Wie out, fired a mediocre even-par 72 to land in a tie for 65th while dominant dog Lorena Ochoa is in the clubhouse at three-under 69.

48-year-old Julie Inkster turned that dang Rolex back a few years, leading in the clubhouse with a seven-under 65 that included five birdies and an eagle on the par-4 9th.

The Women's Open, like the regular Open Championship, is rich in history, dating back to almost 2001. Now that is prestige.

Ok, enough of this, back to regular stuff.

Michelle Wie Responds to LPGA Golfers Comments, Kinda

After Paula Creamer and Annika Sorenstam commented that they weren't so happy with Michelle Wie's decision to skip an LPGA major to play in a PGA Tour event, you'd expect Wie to comment.

You know, something like "those stupid chicks are just jealous of my bank roll." Or, "Yeah, tell Paula if she wants to borrow my Rolex, I'll let her, but just for a day."

But no, Wie stayed fairly civil and handled the remarks, well, remarkably well (see what I did there).

"There are going to be criticisms entering this tournament, but at the same time I'm just doing what I feel like I want to do and it's going to be a lot of fun," Wie said.

"All I'm thinking about is trying to play some good golf. How can I limit the number of bogeys I make? How can I maximize the number of birdies I can make out of this golf course and that's all I can focus on. I can't focus on the rest of the field," she said.

"People are going to write hateful stuff about me and that's fine with me. ... Good rounds and low scores can solve everything," she said.

I'd say that's about right. I think one of the best golf quotes I've heard in a long time is, sadly, from those Phil Mickelson commercials for whatever hotel he promotes. Bones, his caddy, says "whenever you want to break something, how about breaking par."

One of my favorite golf pictures ever taken was courtesy of Warren Little, Getty Images

Last Chance To Catch Annika Sorenstam At A Major

It appears when you've accomplished all that you can in your career, hanging up the spikes isn't a bad idea.

Annika Sorenstam, in her 15th season on tour, has decided that this week's Womens British Open will be her last hooray, and after the 37-year-old will ride off into the sunset as the best and most successful golfer ever of her gender.

She's won 10 majors, including the British in 2003, and said the main reason for the departure is to spend more time with her family. (Side note: what a loser...people play golf to get AWAY from their families...hasn't anyone told her this yet?)

“I want to start the next chapter in my life and we’ll see what happens,” she said. “If I get the urge, then I know I can come back.

I'm sure we'll see Annika again, but for now, this will be our last chance to catch her in a major championship. As much as I seem to dog women's sports, Sorenstam is one of my favorite people to watch play. Her swing is so repetitive it's disgusting and she is still confident with the putter at age 37.

Not to scare anyone, but Tiger is 32, and if he gets hot hotter over the next couple of years, he might be in a situation when he reaches 40 that this idea comes to his mind. Wait until he breaks Jack's record, and we could be seeing a whole different tour.

Paging Anthony Kim.

Would You Give Michelle Wie An Invite?

It's fairly insane that one of the bigger golf tournaments on the PGA Tour is having this week and Michelle Wie playing in the other PGA event is the big news.

With the Bridgestone Invitational going on at Firestone Country Club, all the big names trying to win should be the story. Unfortunately it isn't even close, as Wie continues to steal headlines as she tries to be the modern day Billie Jean King.

My question, would you give Wie an invitation if you were this tournament?

I'd have to say yes, it's the smart business decision. You're battling against a tournament with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim and Sergio Garcia. Before Wie, the biggest name in the field was Ryan Moore. If you can invite someone to get you this exposure, you'd have to do it.

My follow-up question is simple. When will this stop? When does the luster of Wie rub off? When do people stop caring about her doing this? Will she always be this anomaly or are people going to get tired of her as she continues to fall short?

Honestly, as much trash as I push her way, I sure hope she can find a way to succeed this week so the dance is finally finished. I believe if she could make a cut, prove to her critics that she can do it, she can close that book and move on to the LPGA full-time. That or she'll start talking about winning a PGA Tour event. I guess that's why companies make hard liquor.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Franklin, Getty

Michelle Wie Gets Yelled At By Other Girls

I'm sure it gets fairly annoying to have a girl that never does that well on your tour teeing it up with the boys, and most people can only keep their mouths shut for so long.

Annika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer both commented on Michelle Wie's decision to play in the Reno-Tahoe Open instead of the Women's British Open, and my story is over at the FanHouse.

In News That Surprises Nobody, LPGA Might Lose Sponsors

As much as we all push for equal rights amongst all demographics, everyone has that logical portion of the brain that knows things like the LPGA and WNBA just don't make that much money (you could make the same argument about the CFL or minor league baseball).

Golfweek reported today that the LPGA might lose sponsors next season even as it seems the tour has boomed of late with all the young stars making waves.


The future of the Ginn Tribute, the SemGroup Championship and Fields Open appear in doubt. Such uncertainty follows on the heels of Safeway’s announcement earlier this year that it would drop its sponsorship of the Phoenix tour stop.

The most significant setback would be the loss of the Ginn event in Charleston, one of the most lucrative purses on tour; Ginn sponsors two LPGA events and each offers a $2.6 million purse. When the event was announced in 2006, LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens touted it as an example of the LPGA’s bigger, better approach to business.

As I can report way too personally, SemGroup isn't going to be sponsoring anything in the near future.

I always root hard for the LPGA, and not just because I think Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis are hot. I think the tour offers a very rare situation (matched only with tennis) for both men and women to view sports that they can't do and that they are impressed with. Unlike the WNBA, it's golfers playing a course condition that you the average golfer would struggle with. You leave impressed, not questionable.

I'm sure more sponsors will step up, but a problem that has always plagued the LGPA seems to be resurfacing. Hey, at least the economy is doing really well!