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Ahh... a job that angels envy
The grass is always greener on the other side of Tour golf’s ropes
JOE.BRYKSA@FREEPRESS.MB.CA Enlarge Image
Yep, must be nice. Michelle Wie has huge, adoring gallery as she plays on a beautiful day for a big purse at the immaculate St. Charles Country Club.
THE small army that had flocked to watch every move of the Big Wiesy was bathed in sunshine, as quiet as Roman Catholic church mice at mass.
The golf whisperers lined the fairways. They circled the greens. The moved like ants through the tree-lined elegance of St. Charles, so respectful of Michelle Wie — alone atop the leaderboard of the CN Canadian Women’s Open — that curious, small children were made to hush.
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Thank goodness, no imbecile was screaming, "GET IN THE HOLE!!" after every shot, even when the statuesque Wie uncoiled her 6-foot-1 frame to launch a ball buried deep in the rough a good 230 yards to settle just in front of the fifth green. Her birdie attempt scared the hole, but missed.
Wie wasn’t doing much missing on Friday. But not many of them do.
Of course, there must be bad days on the LPGA Tour; when they call the wind a gale and you get cranky, when the putts are lipping out and that bandaged right wrist is throbbing.
Then there was Friday at St. Charles. Or most any day inside the ropes of an LPGA or PGA event.
Just maybe, it’s what golfing in heaven is like. The grass is lush green. The world stops every time you putt. Someone else carries the clubs and tends to the divots.
And the sea of fans parts in front of you when it comes time to saunter from the green to the next tee box.
Must be nice.
The courses, just like the 105-year-old St.
Charles, are immaculate. The greens are smooth as a baby’s bottom.
And those crowds applaud so politely, so civilly. One imagines it could be the Prairie version of Wimbledon, without the strawberries and cream.
So when the sun is shining and the scorecard is your friend, could there be a better occupation?
"I’ve never had another job, so I can’t really compare it," offered Suzann Pettersen, the defending Open champion who enters today’s third round at 6-under and hot on Wie’s heels.
"But it’s a damn good job. I can tell you that."
Sing it, sister.
It doesn’t hurt, either, that the thousands of locals who’ve congregated under the shade of the oak and pine trees are a grateful bunch.
After all, the Wies (Michelle) and Kims (Christina, In-Kyung, Mindy, Song Hee, Sue, Mi Hyun, Yoo Kyeong), and Lees (Ilhee, Jee Young, Meena, Sarah, Seon Hwa) and Parks (Angela, Gloria, Hee Young, Jane, In Bee) of major professional golf only grace our fair city every decade or more.
And it shows.
"They’ve always been fantastic in Canada," Pettersen said. "They’re great, and what I love the most they just appreciate good golf shots. It doesn’t matter who it is."
Whether it’s Wie, the former teenage phenom who has long been a household name worldwide, or a fast rising relative unknown such as Korean Jiyai Shin, who is hearing her own name ring out more and more from the crowds these days.
"I really appreciate it, the whole gallery," added Shin, who finished at 7-under. "This is my second time in Canada and last year it was also a big crowd (in Calgary). So I’m really happy with that because when I hit just normal — not really good — there’s always a crowd for me because they’re happy and they’re pushing for me to gain."
The lucky few who climb the leaderboard are whisked to the media tent, where they sit in leather chairs and field more polite questions.
Surely, it can’t all be this easy, right, Michelle?
"Yeah, it’s a lot of hours," Wie replied. "A lot of grinding, a lot of travel. But you know, it’s just what you have to do."
No question, this gig has its challenges as players strive for unattainable perfection. Wie left the interview room and headed straight for the putting green. Others headed for the driving range to work out the kinks — if they were lucky enough to make the cut.
But just so you know, the winner on Sunday gets $337,500. The woman who finishes in 70th place, dead last, gets a cheque for $4,585.
And on days such as Friday at St. Charles, the rest is groomed fairways, long walks in the park, sunshine and adoring crowds.
Pettersen is right. It’s a damn good job.
No, it might not be what it’s like to golf in heaven.
But if this is what you do for a living on Earth, maybe the celestial tee-off can wait.
randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca
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