Demagogue

I have to say that I do not like Michelle Wie or the entire hype machine that has sprung up around her. [Well, I guess I don't have to say it - but I'm saying it nonetheless.]

While she is undoubtedly a talented golfer, her insistence that she is, at this point in her very short career, qualified to play on the PGA Tour is growing increasingly annoying.

Especially when she can't even manage to, you know, actually qualify for high profile PGA tournaments

But with shadows stretching across the course and a spot in the United States Open at Winged Foot Golf Club within reach, Wie made three consecutive bogeys in her final six holes, derailing a run to become the first woman to play in a men's professional major championship.

In her daylong chase to finish in the top 18 in the 153-player field, Wie finished tied for 59th, shooting a one-over-par 143 to stand five strokes out of a playoff for the last of 18 available spots for the United States Open.

Wie opened with a two-under-par 68 on the South course but stumbled in with a three-over 75 on the longer North course.

Now, failing to qualify for the US Open is nothing to be ashamed of - hundreds of people do it every year. But to then attempt to rationalize it thusly is absurd

"I think Michelle demonstrated that it's possible for a woman to play in a men's major," her father, B.J. Wie, said after the event. To which Michelle replied: "I think my dad finally said something right."

Ummm ... maybe; if by "play" you mean "not qualify." But by that standard, I could "play" in a major.

Fresh of her disappointing qualifying effort, Wie went to play in the LPGA Championship, where she was in contention all four rounds, until the end

Michelle Wie, the 16-year-old from phenom, was one shot behind and had a sand wedge from the 16th fairway when she missed the green and saw a 4-foot par putt spin 270 degrees around the cup. Then she missed an 8-foot birdie on the 17th, and wound up three-putting the last hole while trying to knock in a 50-foot putt to join the playoff.

“I feel like I'm getting closer and closer,” Wie said. “It shows a lot that I played my 'B' game and I'm still in the top five.”

I realize that she is only 16, but you don't collapse over the final two holes in a major championship and then insult everyone by saying that even with your "B game" you can still finish in the top 10, because, frankly, pretty much every person who finishes in the top 10 was playing their "B game." That is why they didn't win.

I have no problem with Wie or any other woman playing on the PGA Tour - in fact, I would like to see it. And if Wie can qualify, I'll root for her. But until she can win at least one tournament on the LPGA, she ought to stop insulting all of the extremely talented golfers on that tour by insinuating that she is too good to play against them.

Perhaps Wie will go on to be the most dominant woman on the LPGA at some point in the future, but she has a long way to go.

Until then, she ought to keep these two words in mind.