Wie Posts 65, In Second Place after Day Two

Well, well, well, Michelle Wie, it sure is nice to see you again.

The 18-year-old fired a seven-under 65 today at Sectional Qualifying School, finding herself in second place alone after the second day of play. This coupled with her first round 70 has Wie nine-under after two days, four backs of some girl named Sun-Ju Ahn, which sounds like something you'd say after eating some really hot salsa.

Anyway, all Wie has do is finish in the top-30 to move to the finals of Q-School, a position she is currently 11 shots ahead of.

This sure is a different lady than the one we've been criticizing the past year or so. It looks like Wie can play again, which is only good for an LPGA that has been dodging some negative criticism lately.

Photo courtesy of Christian Petersen, Getty Images

Wie Fired Two-Under 70 in First Round of Q-School, Update

Michelle Wie got off to a good start at the LPGA Sectional Qualifying School, firing a two-under 70 to put her alone in fourth place with 55 of the 164 golfers in the clubhouse.

Wie is one of nine golfers that have broke par so far at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

Of the 164 golfers, 70 will make the two day cut and 30 will go on to the finals of Q-School. So far it looks like Wie might just get her tour card and shut everyone, including me, up.

Nice first round Michelle, keep up the good work.

Update: Wie is now in a tie for eight place after the first round of play.

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.

Michelle Wie Has Exactly Zero Friends on Facebook

Honestly, I'm starting to feel bad for 18-year-old Michelle Wie.

Not only does she have to take shots from "media" members like myself and others, but now she's landing it from her own swing coach, David Ledbetter.

"It's a shock to me and to her agents that this is happening. I don't think the family is making the right choice. There's definitely more to lose than to gain. I've put too much time and effort into Michelle to be able to sit by and watch this happening without saying something. If she doesn't stick to doing what's sensible, we could see one of the greatest potential talents the game has ever known going to waste."

I mean, honestly, this thing is never going to get any better until one of these people (coach, agent, boyfriend, God) finally put their foot down and take managerial decision-making away from her Looney Toon of a father.

I really believe that Wie's parents should write a book called, "65 Things You Can Do To Make Even a Millionaire Teenager Hate Life."

If Michelle was cast in the new season of "Real World," at this point would it surprise you at all?

Here is the entry form for Q-School Michelle. Do the right thing.

Photo courtesy of David Cannon, Getty Images

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.

Michelle Wie Better Send Her Money in For Q-School

As I pointed out on Wednesday, Michelle Wie and her impeccable ability to make the right decision had to finish no worse than second at this week's Women's Canadian Open to avoid Q-School for the ladies.

After an opening round 75, it appears she is well on her way to sending in that check.

Lets be honest, nobody thought she'd do this. Wie has had a horrible 2008 and after shooting an 80 in the second round of the PGA Tour's Reno-Tahoe Open, her year was defined.

She said before the tournament started that concerning Q-school, "I'm not going to think about the future right now."

Right on the cut line right now in Canada, it's time for her to make a decision. We all know she isn't going to the Futures Tour, so Q-School seems her most logical and sensible decision. It will give her the opportunity to belong on the LPGA instead of being the cold soar she's become to most of her peers.

That or she could just say fuck it. You know, whatever.

In Shocking Events, Michelle Wie Will Not Be Making it to the Weekend

I've always agreed with those critics that thought it was incredible that someone's goal might be to just make the cut. Most of the time, in any sport you're competing in, winning is the only feasible option. You aren't going out in a basketball game hoping to just lose by five or six points. Never is a tennis player hoping to win a single set off his opponent. You play to win, period.

Wie's approach in what will now be her eighth straight missed cut on the PGA Tour has been to make a check, get to the weekend, show she "belongs," whatever that means.

To belong you have to be relevant and Wie hasn't been close since her first chance at the Sony Open in 2004 where she missed the cut by a shot.

Now, Wie is like a lot of us on the course, lost with what she's doing. Decisions, golf swing, putting stroke, it can all be criticized by now. Making the turn today, Wie was two-over for the tournament and needed to finish with at least two birdies.

The par-5 third hole, her 12th, gave her a great chance at birdie, but Wie, in what can only be considered typical at this point, made a double-bogey and all hopes were lost.

Like John Daly, Wie's story is becoming a sad one. You almost hope something good happens to her in the coming months because she's at such a fragile point in her life that she might not be able to recover if the climb continues this steep.

Photo courtesy of KAZUHIRO NOGI, AFP/Getty

Wie Out in Even Par, One-Over Through 13

Well, it isn't as if she's tossing the tournament away in her first few holes.

A standard bogey on the first hole you can blame on nerves, Wie battled back from another stumble on the fifth hole with birdies on 6 and 9 to get back to even par. She has since bogeyed the par-3 12th to land in a tie for 77th, but has been fairly respectable so far considering all she's dealt with heading in.

If she can get around at even par for the day, she'd gain a little confidence and maybe be able to fire a number tomorrow to make the cut. If not, she'll be answering those nasty questions she should be used to by now.

You can keep up with the coverage on absolutely no channel because some networks are dumb.

Jeff Overton Is Making it an Uphill Climb for Wie

I'm sure at some point today we'll get to the Bridgestone Invitational, but it's Michelle Wie's world and we're just trying to make a couple of birdies in it.

Jeff Overton...excuse me, the Dominant Jeff Overton...fired a seven-under 65 to hold the lead in the clubhouse and nearly 40 golfers are under par so far in the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Good news for Wie though. She'd have to really struggle to finish in last place at this event. Some guy named Lance Ten Broeck (don't ask, I have no idea) posted a 16-over 88 that actually included back-to-back birdies at one point in the round. Wie would have to do something really stupid like not sign her scorecard or something to finish behind this guy.

Jimmy Walker and Scott Sterling Are the Lucky Dogs Paired With Wie

At 1:55 EST today, Michelle Wie will embark on her first PGA Tour event.

Oh, I'm hearing this isn't her first time doing this. Really? Oh, whatever.

Anyway, she's going to be paired with the illustrious Jimmy Walker and Scott Sterling. Never heard of 'em? Not sure they are even people?

Well, let's do a mini crash course on the two.

Jimmy Walker, the strapping 29-year-old Baylor graduate, has won three times on the Nationwide Tour and in his second full season on the PGA Tour, has made nine of 15 cuts. Met his wife at a Nationwide event where she was a volunteer for the tournament, strictly prohibited in the "Nationwide Tour volunteer handbook."

Scott Sterling was the original DJ for the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. Ehh, wrong guy. Nope, Scott Sterling is a PGA Tour player that finished in a tie for 12th at the John Deere this year, and is an avid fan of Pearl Jam.

Sound like a couple of guys perfect for Wie. Also, something I find funny, neither guys are in the top 50 in driving distance, maybe something the Reno-Tahoe people are doing so they can have a highlight on "Sportscenter" of Wie out-driving two men. "Wow, did you see how far that girl can hit it, she's amaaaazing!"

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

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.