Kept-Posted

Yesterday, John and I went to Summit, N.J. in Canoe Brook to watch Michelle Wie at the last few holes of the U.S. Open qualifying tournament. Seeing Michelle Wie for the first time was quite an experience. We could have seen a history if only she made her putts at the last 9 holes. Well, she’s only 16 and has achieved something that Tiger Woods never did until he was 19 and that makes a difference already. Spectators were following Wie as if there were no other players at all at some designated holes. It was understandable since no woman has made it to the final round of the qualifying tournament that Wie almost achieved yesterday to make the U.S. Open which is coming very soon this month.

At the end of the tournament, it was only her father B.J. who answered most of the reporters’ interviews. According to the reporters, B.J. told them that Michelle’s near-miss proves that women can do things like qualify for the men’s Open. Michelle agreed to his father’s statement and said, “I’m not really here to show that… to prove something, that women can actually play. But you know, hopefully this just shows or motivates people to do what they want to do and not really be, I guess, bended to just do what other poeple do — what the normal thing to do is. And I hope people can break out of this normal thing and just do what they want to do.”

This wasn’t all about money. She is “wildly wealthy with all the endorsements already and ranks third in the world among women players after turning pro last fall” as stated in one article on the paper today.

Next week, the U.S Open is going to start and I will be one of the volunteers of the biggest tournament in golf. I was expecting to see Wie again, too bad she failed yesterday. Nonetheless, she is so good for a normal 16 year old golfer and by that she already made a history. Hopefully, I’ll be seeing more of the tour players and that includes Tiger. I wish I had done better on the photo I took yesterday if only cameras among spectators were not restricted. I got most of the closest spots to take a good snapshot of Michelle, yet I didn’t take a chance to be embarrassed so I got the worst photo taken of her for it was too late for me to push the zoom button as watchful as I was for the committee before they could stop me.

Anyway, it was a worth sharing experience to have seen the real phenomenon in the sport of golf and for being one of the 2000 -3000 followers of Wie yesterday. I walked 3-miles at the least on the wet rough of the last nine holes of the 36-hole game was fulfilled enough to end the day.