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Sidelines Kalani Simpson |
Wie faces less pressure
as an amateurANYONE astounded by the fact that Hawaii's 14-year-old Michelle Wie just became the first amateur to be granted an exemption into the field of the U.S. Women's Open is missing the point.
She isn't an amateur. She's a pro.
To pretend otherwise is to ignore reality.
The USGA as much as says so, by granting her entry based on where she would stand on the LPGA money list.
She plays a pro's schedule, jet-setting to the mainland and even around the world. She practices a pro's daily routine (outside of those pesky several hours a day at Punahou School). She has special training and prestigious swing doctors.
She has Tiger's old caddie.
She's past the point of no return.
Now, I'm not saying that she's forsaken her amateur status. As far as we, and the Wie family and everybody else knows, she's followed every rule. She's done everything right.
To put it another way, she would not get UH in trouble with the NCAA.
And that's not to say that she isn't still 14, that she doesn't still love shopping, and talking on the phone, and dreaming about a driver's license (when she's not dreaming about Johnny Depp).
And that's not to say that I've changed my mind, that I necessarily think it's a good thing to abandon the experience of playing on a school team to fly off to faraway pro events during a school week.
But it's the way it is. Wie's talent has taken her to another reality. This reality:
These days she's an amateur in name only.
Oh, and paycheck only, too. But that's not such a bad thing. Her family isn't hurting, obviously (I'm a union guy, personally, but if I were the governor, the next time UH professors asked about raises I would point to Mr. Wie). And it takes the pressure off.
What would she spend it on? A new cell phone? She's 14. Everything's taken care of.
Collect those checks and the magic is over, there's a hard edge to everything, it isn't so cute anymore. She doesn't need the Jonesian level of criticism that comes with raking in too much cash. She doesn't need the stress of actually having to putt for dough, of having to produce, rather than just wanting to.
No, Michelle can play in any pro tournament she wants -- on her terms -- and simply swing away.
And that's where a lot of the Wie backlash comes from, I think. She's a pro, without any of the pressure. She's an amateur with every in, every break, an "amateur" with every pro's perk.
And she knows it.
If you forget the part about missing out on playing for Punahou, she's got the best of every world.
Now comes this latest first. Of course, everyone is missing its real significance. The special thing about this exemption is that it isn't special at all. Wie isn't really getting a pass as the first amateur to do so in the Women's Open. It isn't an exemption, not really. The USGA has said it without saying it.
She's in the field because the top 35 pros get in free.
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Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com