The longer Michelle Wie goes without winning, the more used to it she's getting. I don't care how good she is or how good she believes she is, constantly experiencing a lack of success is having a negative influence on her efforts to be the superstar she is capable of.
Competing in mens tournaments in the vain attempt at "making the cut" (big deal if she does, what does it prove?) is a misplaced focus in my view. As a peak performance coach I encourage the experience of winning to become a habit. Not simply going out there and playing golf with a misguided goal.
Sure, she might do well in a mens event eventually, but why not dominate on the womens tour first? It makes sense, in mental game terms, to create as many on-course victories as possible. Then she can build on these experiences. The feelings associated with winning intensify the desire for more wins. Now this is a win-win approach to winning!
With such obvious talent she would be best served by placing her attention on small victories. While making the cut on a mens tour event might be her "confidence-building goal," the continued disappointment from not reaching the goal actually builds on the experience of losing. Of not reaching her goal.
What's worse is these feelings slip into the unconscious and habituate. And then show themselves when we least want them: right when we have a chance to win. Then the inner demons will dance in her head and derail the very victories she seeks.
To pursue goals that are beyond ourselves is great. Stretching ourselves is beneficial. Yet when the pursuit of that goal continually chips away at the confidence of a young, incredibly talented girl, the impact of this is undermining her very efforts at being the best player she can be.
Article comments
1 - Girl Golfer
Its people like you who sound stop writing the negative things and just get over it. shes good, and im pretty sure that the man who just won in a pga event this past week hadnt won in what was it oh wait yeah it was 5 years he went with out event winning! she had one year and only 8 lpga events, shes finished in the top 5 in 6 of those. i think that speaks for its self.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
So Michelle Wie is in the same class as someone who hasn't won in 5 years? Not much of a phenom then.
3 - Wade Pearse
I appreciate the comments Girl Golfer. In fact Joe Durant has won prior to this. So although he hadn't won in 5 years as you rightly pointed out, he in fact won that very same tournament in his last victory. Interesting how the "feeling" of winning breeds more winning... This is my point.
He had winning feelings that he either consciously or unconsciously tapped which made winning easier. He made that win look extremely effortless. I watched it intently. Michelle could learn from him.
If she placed as much attention on dominating women's events her growth and maturity as a world class player would be steadier.
She has years to figure it out. I just hope it doesn't damage her more than necessary.
Cheers and keep the comments coming. Open dialogue is what it's all about.
4 - Halster
Svengali BJ? Dad, this is your own daughter not a slut. At some point she turned from a golfing phenom to a marketing phenom. So now that you have your $20 mil, it's time to work on respectability of your own child. The press is doing their best to refrain from disparaging an underage youth. But you've forced the issue. But why do you allow her to explain in interviews that she's getting better and better? We're no longer talking about men's events. And when is she going to respect the game of golf and learn to read the rule book? She slowed down the pace at Bighorn because she didn't do her homework.
For those of you who don't know, Punahou School is a prestigious private school for the rich and worthy. So why does MW say she's having fun while getting slaughtered in the men's PGA events? Now she's losing among her female peers. Yeah it's easy to cherry pick the top dollar women’s' events. The trick is to be consistent which MW doesn't know the meaning. Remember her comment about dominating women's golf that she'll start playing left handed? We're not only talking about an insult to the proven women's champions, this is absolute arrogance. This is not innate, it's taught. By whom, BJ and the bears? Is it Nike, Sony, Omega or some Korean developer? It’s all about the Benjamin’s. Now it’s time to use some of that money for damage control with a PR firm. Oh, but her agent left for a phantom PGA job. That’s OK, because a Nike crony gets the gig and to fire the next caddie when she finishes near last. Where’s Bill Murray? Even Happy Gilmore respects the game of golf more than MW.
The real insult is to the golf fans, PGA or LPGA that MW is the greatest thing since Tiger Woods. There's no comparison. Tiger respects his competition, the game and the spectators' intelligence. Though they may have the same mega sponsor, Tiger knows what respectability means versus shameless publicity.
I'm so disappointed. Don't call her Hawaiian, because she is not. Call her a resident . . . for now.
Honolulu, Hawaii