It isn?t easy being a child prodigy.
Not that Michelle Wie is a child anymore at age 16. But she sure is being treated like one. Wie will be competing with the ?big boys? at this week?s PGA Tour stop, the John Deere Classic at the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. Not everybody believes she should be allowed to compete, at least until she proves herself against the best of the LPGA.
Maybe Wie is using the John Deere Classic as a warm-up for the LPGA. This week?s field has all the punch of a glass of lukewarm water ? most of the world?s top golfers are either at the Scottish Open or taking the week off in preparation for the prestigious British Open. The shortest odds at Deere Run are +2000, and they?re shared by three golfers: Zach Johnson, Bo Van Pelt and Steve Stricker.
Wie is available as part of the field at +250. She was an amateur when she received a sponsor?s exemption to play in last year?s Classic, and she acquitted herself quite nicely, finishing the first two rounds at one under par. But that was three strokes from making the cut, something Wie has yet to do on the PGA Tour after four previous attempts.
This week?s field may be feeble enough for Wie to finally crack the egg. Winning the whole shooting match? Let?s not get carried away. Even Tiger Woods had to wait until he was 20 before he earned his first PGA Tour victory ? albeit just a couple of months into his pro career. Wie needs a little more seasoning before she can be considered a legitimate threat. But if she does continue to progress, she?ll eventually be an excellent handicapping value when she?s slumming on the PGA Tour.
In the meantime, Wie gives the Classic some name recognition. The PGA should hope she makes the cut. Otherwise, who?s going to tune in on the weekend? The families of the golfers? Speaking of whom, here are some of the players of note this week.
Steve Stricker (+2000): The Wisconsin native is a part-timer on the Tour, playing just nine events leading into the Classic. Three of those events were Top-6 results, including the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Stricker hasn?t won on the Tour since the World Match Play tourney in 2001; however, his excellent scrambling and putting make Stricker a viable co-favorite on this relatively short course.
Chris DiMarco (+2800): There was a time when DiMarco was on the cusp of golfing greatness. He was on the 2004 Ryder Cup team for the United States, and he finished second to Woods at the 2005 Masters in a playoff. But these are tough times for DiMarco. His mother passed away last week, and he?s still trying to get his golf groove back after injuring his ribs this past March while skiing. Woods failed to make the cut in his first tournament after the death of his father; DiMarco likely needs time as well.
Camilo Villegas (+3300): Meet the new (but not necessarily improved) Tiger. Villegas is the hottest rookie on the Tour in more ways than one. The Colombian sensation with the ripped abs was a three-time All-American at the University of Florida, and he has finished in the Top 3 on three occasions. It should be only a matter of time before he bags his first Tour victory. Villegas happens to crush the ball over 305 yards off the tee ? about a yard longer than Tiger thus far in 2006.
Carlos Franco (Field): Franco is something of an oddity on the PGA Tour. He grew up poor in his native Paraguay, and then went on to win tournaments in Central America and Japan before joining the Tour in 1999 and earning Rookie of the Year honors. Franco has yet to fully capitalize on that early promise. He has just two victories since his debut campaign, most recently taking the 2004 U.S. Bank Championship. But Franco does have a decent short game to go with a 294-yard average drive. Too bad he?s lumped in with the field.
Among the other recognizable names on the odds list are defending champion Sean O?Hair at +2800, Jeff Sluman at +3300, Jason Gore at +6600 and David Duval at +8000. USA Network has coverage of the first two rounds, with ABC jumping in for the weekend package.
---Perry
BetWWTS
Not that Michelle Wie is a child anymore at age 16. But she sure is being treated like one. Wie will be competing with the ?big boys? at this week?s PGA Tour stop, the John Deere Classic at the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. Not everybody believes she should be allowed to compete, at least until she proves herself against the best of the LPGA.
Maybe Wie is using the John Deere Classic as a warm-up for the LPGA. This week?s field has all the punch of a glass of lukewarm water ? most of the world?s top golfers are either at the Scottish Open or taking the week off in preparation for the prestigious British Open. The shortest odds at Deere Run are +2000, and they?re shared by three golfers: Zach Johnson, Bo Van Pelt and Steve Stricker.
Wie is available as part of the field at +250. She was an amateur when she received a sponsor?s exemption to play in last year?s Classic, and she acquitted herself quite nicely, finishing the first two rounds at one under par. But that was three strokes from making the cut, something Wie has yet to do on the PGA Tour after four previous attempts.
This week?s field may be feeble enough for Wie to finally crack the egg. Winning the whole shooting match? Let?s not get carried away. Even Tiger Woods had to wait until he was 20 before he earned his first PGA Tour victory ? albeit just a couple of months into his pro career. Wie needs a little more seasoning before she can be considered a legitimate threat. But if she does continue to progress, she?ll eventually be an excellent handicapping value when she?s slumming on the PGA Tour.
In the meantime, Wie gives the Classic some name recognition. The PGA should hope she makes the cut. Otherwise, who?s going to tune in on the weekend? The families of the golfers? Speaking of whom, here are some of the players of note this week.
Steve Stricker (+2000): The Wisconsin native is a part-timer on the Tour, playing just nine events leading into the Classic. Three of those events were Top-6 results, including the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Stricker hasn?t won on the Tour since the World Match Play tourney in 2001; however, his excellent scrambling and putting make Stricker a viable co-favorite on this relatively short course.
Chris DiMarco (+2800): There was a time when DiMarco was on the cusp of golfing greatness. He was on the 2004 Ryder Cup team for the United States, and he finished second to Woods at the 2005 Masters in a playoff. But these are tough times for DiMarco. His mother passed away last week, and he?s still trying to get his golf groove back after injuring his ribs this past March while skiing. Woods failed to make the cut in his first tournament after the death of his father; DiMarco likely needs time as well.
Camilo Villegas (+3300): Meet the new (but not necessarily improved) Tiger. Villegas is the hottest rookie on the Tour in more ways than one. The Colombian sensation with the ripped abs was a three-time All-American at the University of Florida, and he has finished in the Top 3 on three occasions. It should be only a matter of time before he bags his first Tour victory. Villegas happens to crush the ball over 305 yards off the tee ? about a yard longer than Tiger thus far in 2006.
Carlos Franco (Field): Franco is something of an oddity on the PGA Tour. He grew up poor in his native Paraguay, and then went on to win tournaments in Central America and Japan before joining the Tour in 1999 and earning Rookie of the Year honors. Franco has yet to fully capitalize on that early promise. He has just two victories since his debut campaign, most recently taking the 2004 U.S. Bank Championship. But Franco does have a decent short game to go with a 294-yard average drive. Too bad he?s lumped in with the field.
Among the other recognizable names on the odds list are defending champion Sean O?Hair at +2800, Jeff Sluman at +3300, Jason Gore at +6600 and David Duval at +8000. USA Network has coverage of the first two rounds, with ABC jumping in for the weekend package.
---Perry
BetWWTS
