The Way Back for Michelle Wie

I must admit that it took me a long time to fully discern B.J. Wie's mindset regarding the management of his would-be prodigy daughter, Michelle. At first, I believed that he was simply a greedy guy in a hurry, to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite colleagues. But now I can see the tortured yet failed logic of his actions.

B.J. saw and knew that others could readily see Michelle's seemingly limitless potential. She was a marketeer's dream. At the same time, there was something at his core that didn't quite let him believe the press clipping that he himself was helping to pen. He really didn't buy that Michelle could dominate the amateur and college ranks in a way that he wanted the world to believe she would, so he kept her away from it as much as possible. B.J. either saw the competition and feared how Michelle would measure up or he simply wasn't prepared to confront the possibilty that there really might be legitimate competitors out there who could beat Michelle on any given day.

This is where B.J. and Michelle are so different from Tiger and Earl Woods. The Woods team sought out the best of the competition at every level but Team Wie has proven to be hesitant to engage her peers beyond a point. It is very much as if B.J. doesn't want to see Michelle fail to win when he should be interested in making sure that she is battle tested and improving as a player. While she has wasted herself playing against the men and accepting dubious sponsor's exemptions, her competition has grown even further into their potentials. While their games have flourished her game has been robbed of its joy and rhythm.

B.J.'s path has taken Michelle directly to her current position in the game. She has become the very image of a self-entitled pariah. In my view, there is only one way back for Michelle Wie, and I very much doubt that she has the courage to that road.

Quite simply, Wie should regain her amateur standing and play whatever USGA and college events that she can. Were she to walk away from the cash, for now, she just may find herself in the process.

Here's hoping that she does the first genuinely remarkable thing she's done in a very long time.