However, I remain one of the few who wants to see Michelle continue to play in PGA Tour events. For one, I couldn't give a rat's arse about these tournaments if she didn't enter.
The John Deere Classic and the 84 Lumber Classic? These tournaments are anything but classic. Take away Michelle Wie and these events wouldn't even register in my consciousness. At a minimum, these events aren't any less interesting without Wie.Second, it's not like Michelle is forcing herself into these tournaments. She is invited to play via a sponsor's exemption. Sponsors pay the big bucks and in return are allowed to give several spots in the field to whomever they want. If they choose to give a spot to Wie or Dora the Explorer, it's their prerogative. You can't blame Wie for accepting an invite. Heck, I'd accept any and all invites that were sent my way. If people don't want Wie in these events, they should take issue with the sponsors. But, since these "minor" events are the only ones that would invite Wie, who cares?
But the primary reason that I want Michelle to play in PGA Tour events is that they are tremendous money-making opportunities. Every time she tees it up against the men, bookies are accepting proposition bets on whether she will make the cut. At the 84 Lumber, my bookie was offering a money line of -800 on Wie missing the cut. In other words, you win $100 if you are willing to lay $800.
Sounds like long odds, right? But not long enough if you consider the real odds. The golf course at Nemacolin Woodlands stretches over 7,500-yards and hosts a strong field. Michelle Wie had an ice cube chance in hell of making the cut. But those are the same chances for any woman. According to Robert Allenby, "...if Annika Sorenstam can't make the cut at [the 2003] Colonial, on the course that plays shortest on tour, then no chick in the world is going to make the cut on this tour."
If you could lay $800 to win $100 that the sun would rise tomorrow, you'd take it all day, correct? Well that's about the same bet as Wie missing the cut at the 84 Lumber. If you do the math, that's a 12.5% return over 2 days! By my calculations, that's an effective annual rate of over 200,000,000,000% (please correct me if I'm wrong)! I challenge you to find a better investment.
So, if you like easy money, you should support Wie's desire to play in PGA Tour events. The next time that she does, get yourself to Vegas or a local Ladbrokes and bet that she'll miss the cut. While you're at it, betting that Wie won't win a major next year is another sure bet. There's money for the taking!
