[ OUR OPINION ]
LPGA tour regulars
had better get used
to Michelle WieMICHELLE Wie is taking a well-earned breather from the indignation among older golfers who were denied entry to last week's U.S. Women's Open. The 14-year-old phenomenon, who is on track to be the Tiger Woods of women's golf, has left some LPGA tour players complaining outside the rope. It's time they become accustomed to Wie's presence along with the throngs of fans comprising the largest galleries in LPGA history.
THE ISSUE
The young Hawaii golfer endured criticism for having been given a special exemption to play in last week's U.S. Women's Open.
As the U.S. Golf Association's Women's Open in Massachusetts approached, "Golf World" magazine conducted a survey regarding her special exemption to play in her second major tournament of the year, and 23 of the 30 players polled were against it. Heather Daly-Donofrio was the most vociferous, saying she was "shocked" that Wie was given one of the three exemptions of players not required for eligibility in other ways. "Regardless of how phenomenal she is, it just seems so contrary to what the USGA has done in the past."
Consider the source: Daly-Donofrio is ranked 77th in earnings among LPGA players. She has qualified to play in the Open each of the past four years and six times during the past decade, and she has failed to make the weekend cut on each occasion.
At the time she was granted the exemption, Wie would have ranked 28th in earnings if she had accepted money from the three tournaments she had entered -- tied for 19th in the Safeway International, fourth in the Nabisco Championship, a major, and 12th in the Michelob Ultra Open. At this point, her tie for 13th in the Women's Open would place her 35th in earnings, having played in only four of the 13 LPGA tournaments this year. The top 35 pros are automatically qualified to play in the Open.
Those who are not intimidated by Wie's game recognize the value of her occasional presence on the tour. "There's no doubt about the fact that she sells an incredible amount of tickets, and the fans love her," said Hilary Lunke, last year's Open champion.
Whining about Wie's participation will not precede next year's Women's Open. The top 20 finishers from the previous year automatically qualify, so Wie will have no need for a special exemption. Daly-Donofrio still will be a long shot for such a favor.
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Sting helps combat
teenage smokingSTING operations involving children trying to purchase cigarettes have been highly successful, but too many teens continue to acquire the addiction. The state Department of Health has worked with police and the University of Hawaii Cancer Research Center to test whether merchants agree to sell cigarettes to minors, and the percentage is among the lowest in the country. The stings are largely responsible for the drop, and they should become a permanent fixture in the fight against tobacco.
THE ISSUE
A sting operation has shown that a growing percentage of stores refused to sell cigarettes to underage customers.
Using volunteers from Farrington High School, only 11 -- or 5.2 percent -- of the 211 stores subjected to the sting sold cigarettes to the students, in violation of the state law prohibiting tobacco sales to customers under the age of 18. That was the lowest percentage since the program was initiated in 1996. During the first few years, the sting operations showed that 20 to 24 percent of the merchants violated the law.
Fay Callejo, 16, one of the stingers, said she was able to buy cigarettes at some stores after the clerks neglected to ask for verification of her age, as required by law. At other stores on Kauai and Oahu, the clerks asked for her identification but either misread her birth date or subtracted wrong, even using a calculator in one instance.
The inspections are necessary in order for the state to continue receiving federal money for antismoking campaigns. Hawaii could lose $2.8 million if its noncompliance rate were to exceed 20 percent. The state's rate of 5.2 percent was an improvement from the 6.2 percent last year and 6.0 percent the previous year.
For some reason, stings operated by county police departments showed a somewhat higher percentage of violators -- 15.9 percent of the 1,136 stores subjected to the test. Merchants face a $500 fine for the first offense and as much as $2,000 for subsequent transgressions.
The stings don't eliminate teen smoking. Of the nearly 27 percent of Hawaii's high school students who have begun smoking, only one in 50 will successfully quit later in life. The focus on prevention of teen smoking is based on the fact that 90 percent of adult smokers began the habit as teenagers.
