Wie made the decision just days after being disqualified from an LPGA tournament for not signing her scorecard before leaving the scoring tent.

Granted, Michelle was playing pretty good last weekend, just off the lead when the mishap occurred - but she hasn’t been tearing up the LPGA to warrant teeing it up with the men, that’s for sure.

Michelle has yet to make the cut on the men’s tour - after 8 tries. But as usual, Michelle has a positive outlook on the whole thing saying, “It’s not every day that woman is give the opportunity to play on the greatest Tour in the world. This is a tremendous opportunity for me to learn from these great players and take those lessons into the future to becoming the best player I can be on any tour. This is another step in the process of making me a better player.”

You’ve got to hand it to Michelle though. She keeps putting herself out there and grinding away for that first win - on any tour.

One has to wonder if she ends up in Qualifying School if the exemptions will continue to roll in next year.

Michelle Wie failed to follow that seemingly simple rule on Saturday after finishing in 2nd place - with one good round away from possibly winning her first tournament.

Just minutes after tapping in her last putt of the third round, Wie sat red-eyed at a folding table in front of baffled reporters and photographers, explaining why she’d been disqualified from the tournament.

Players must sign their scorecards before leaving the scoring area.

“I don’t know why or how it happened,” Wie said.

Apparantly her parents have not taught the youngster the most basic aspects of the game. Rather than negotiate a $20 million contract from Nike, they should have been taking care of other business - like what to do after you complete a round!

After the serious gaff in etiquette, Michelle simply climbed into an SUV with her parents and drove away.

Sue Witters, the LPGA’s director of tournament competitions, disqualified Wie in a small office in an LPGA trailer at the course after asking her what had happened.
“She was like a little kid after you tell them there’s no Santa Claus,” Witters said.
Wie told reporters that after she finished her round Friday, she left the tent just above the ninth green where players sign their scorecards. She was chased down by volunteers working in the tent, who pointed out she hadn’t signed.
Wie returned to the tent and signed the card, and “I thought it would be OK,” she said.

But Wie, according to Witters, had already walked outside the roped-off area around the tent. At that point, the mistake was final, Witters said.

Witters said she and other tour officials didn’t learn about the mistake from volunteers until well after Wie teed off yesterday morning, so they let her finish the round.

So the Michelle Wie saga continues. In fact, there has been no one on the LPGA tour to have such a sad saga for so long. Once again, Michelle has destroyed her own chances of living up to her incredible potential. We only wish it was not by such stupid means.

Golf World reporter Ron Sirak said yesterday that an LPGA source told him that Wie will play. The Wie camp gave the LPGA a heads-up so that it could prepare security. The 18-year-old draws big crowds despite difficulties with her game the past 18 months.

Sean Van Kesteren, tournament director for the CN Canadian Women’s Open, was surprised when informed of the Golf World story.

“We’ve offered her an exemption,” he said. “But we haven’t had a firm commitment.”

It happened today to 18 year old Michelle Wie on the 9th hole causing her to basically drop out of contention for even making the cut at the US women’s open.

With her wrist injuries seemingly behind her, Michelle’s confidence was high going into the tournament - if it weren’t for that darn 9th hole.

She pulled her tee shot into the right rough, then tried to hit a low approach through the trees to an elevated green. The shot came up about 30 yards short, and she bladed her wedge over the green, facing a steep, downhill chip.

She tried a flop shot, but it came up inches short of the fringe. Using a putter for her fifth shot, the ball bounced out quickly, rolled down the ridge and off the green.

Her chip reached the top of the slope, then trickled back to her feet as she turned away before it stopped rolling. Her seventh shot made it up the ridge to 5 feet behind the hole, but she missed the putt.

This round was reminiscent of a year ago when Michelle shot a 42 in her last nine holes at the Women’s Open. She then withdrew from the tournament at the half way mark of the second round.

Perhaps a blistering round of 62 on Friday will put her back in contention. Stranger things have happened. Like Rocco Mediate staying with Tiger Woods for 91 holes recently!

Alas, none of that has happened. In an age where Tiger Woods can win a tournament with a fractured leg, Michelle can’t seem to win one in any condition.

From heat exhaustion to an injured wrist, Michelle has had a rough time of it the last couple years.

But as the US Women’s Open begins this week, Michelle will undoubtedly be one of the favorites for fans.

What is it about Michelle that people are drawn to?

Is it that her unflappable confidence off the course just mesmerizes people into thinking that she is still a major force to contend with? Or is it her long legs and good looks and pretty swing that have us tuned in and waiting for her to win one?

Paula Creamer, Annika and Ochoa have just been going about the business of winning tournaments during all the hype. The women’s US Open should have its share of drama.

Maybe not as much as the men’s US Open recently, but drama there will be, good or bad. And if Michelle can pull off a win in the Open, she will fill the void ( at least temporarily) of an ailing Tiger. But even if she wins this one, she has a long way to go to catch up with the Big T.