Michelle Sputters at Sony Open

The more she plays with the men, the worse it seems to get. The Sony Open saw Michelle score rounds of 78 and 76 – missing the cut by 14 shots. Michelle is no longer the precocious 14-year-old who missed the cut by one shot just a few short years ago. This weekend was Michelle’s widest gap in from missing the cut in the seven tries she has made to compete against the men.

”I have a lot of game in me, it’s just not showing now,” Wie said. ”Once it comes out, it’s going to be good.”

“Once it comes out…” that is the big question. Although Michelle had the usual huge gallery, no one seemed to mind that she was participating in another men’s event. The feeling seemed to be that they felt sorry for her as she struggled to stay below 80.

It seems as if everyone was thinking the same thing – stick with women’s golf until you win a few, then come back and give it another shot against the men. If someone said that just one year ago they were labeled a “dream stealer” or worse yet, a chauvinist.

”Whether it’s Michelle or anyone else, if their goal is just to come here and make a cut, I don’t think you’re here for the right reason,” Luke Donald said. ”I would say, ‘Go play the LPGA Tour and feel like you’re going to win every week.’ I think she has the talent to win many times out there.”

That sentiment seems to be the norm these days. It seems as if she has just been worn too thin.

On another note, Tadd Fujikawa – a year younger and a foot shorter than Michelle – became the youngest player in 50 years to make the cut on the PGA Tour. Fujikawa was playing in the Sony Open for the first time, with no expectations. He was having fun, trying his hardest on every shot, feeling no nerves until cheers on the 18th made it hard for him to breathe.

There is something to be said about having no expectations on you. When Michelle was 14 years old that was the case. Now, every time she gets on the course with men or women she has something to lose.

Michelle is planning to enroll at Stanford this fall. Maybe just getting away from home and under her parents watchful eye she will have a chance to mature and perfect her game to where it’s consistent each and every time.

Michele has not yet set her 2007 schedule but one can bet that she will not be including as many men’s events, even though she may have open invitations. We’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out this year.