Did you know that Michelle Wie has already signed over $10 million in endorsement deals at the age of 16?

Ironically, as the NBA and its Players Union seek to crack down on the number of teenagers entering the league, the PGA and LPGA tours are embracing them. In the case of the NBA, the argument is that young players are neither physically nor mentally mature enough to handle the rigors of being a professional. Additionally, many veteran players feel as though they should not have to compete with an unproven teenager for a roster spot and paycheck. So why does the golf world seem to have so few qualms with accepting teenagers?

The answer is one word - ka-ching! Money. While Michelle Wie and her family live comfortably on the $10 million in endorsement deals, it is still not uncommon for LPGA players to hit the links without sponsorships. The fact that most of us knew of Michelle Wie well before she ever made her professional debut adds to her power to draw viewers into womens’ golf, and thus usher in the accompanying ratings, advertisers, and sponsors. For the most part, players on the LPGA tour realize the trickle down effect of Wie stands to benefit them, even if it means they miss a few cuts.

Parallels can be drawn to the situation the mens’ tour was facing when Tiger Woods swung onto the scene. In the year or two leading up to Tiger’s professional debut, he was already a recognizable figure in the realm of golf enthusiasts. Amazingly, Tiger was able to back up all of the hype and pay immediate dividends, even before he turned pro. Remember Tiger playing in the U.S. Amateur, looking all gangly with that silly hat and pink shirt? That was his first venture into the national spotlight and he has not left since. The mens’ game has experienced a financial windfall since Tiger’s debut, something that Vijay, Ernie, and Phil cannot deny.

While Tiger had just outgrown his teens when he made his professional debut, LPGA officials, players, and sponsors are hoping that Wie can at least have a fraction of the same impact. For the past few years, the LPGA has done their darndest to sell us on Anika Sorentram, with her blonde hair and crushing drives. They have even pushed the golf equivalent of Anna Kournikova, Natalie Gulbis, who is introducing her own line of swimwear later this year and appears in EA Sports video games. Still, however, unless you’re a twenty-something single male such as myself, Natalie Gulbis probably is not even a blip on your radar screen. Enter, Michelle Wie.

You would be mistaken, however, if you think that Michelle Wie is the first teenager to try to follow Tiger’s youthful footsteps. The two most prominent in recent years would be Justin Rose and Ty Tron, neither of whom has garnered the attention paid to Woods, Wie, or Gulbis for that matter. Much like the teens the NBA is currently trying to keep from turning pro at such a young age, Rose and Tryon enjoyed vastly different levels of success.

Justin Rose, who first made a name for himself by capturing the amateur title at the 1998 British Open, appeared to be a sure thing after shooting a record round for an amateur. Shortly thereafter, Rose turned pro- a decision that quickly looked to be a big mistake. After playing on the European mini tours for a couple of years, Rose finally began to grow into his game and is currently ranked in the top 100 in the world, raking in more than $1.3 million thus far in 2005. After righting what appeared to be a sinking ship, Justin Rose looks as though he has a solid and successful future ahead of him.

Like Rose, Ty Tryon also looked like the next coming of Tiger, attaining the status of the youngest player ever to earn a PGA Tour card at the age of 17, and being the youngest in almost 40 years to make the cut of a professional tournament, in 2001. Unlike Rose, the long-term results for Tryon have been vastly different, thus far. Although a few years ago you were likely to see Tryon written about in a Sports Illustrated article or as a story on ESPN’s “Sportscenter,” today he is very humbly playing on the mini tours while preparing to regain his tour card at Q-School.

While most golfers raised in the realms of the suburbanite upper-middle class come from a largely different demographic than pro basketball players, the PGA and LPGA may want to take a closer look at what the NBA is dealing with right now: eight high school players were drafted in the first 19 picks in 2005, and the league’s collective bargaining agreement has recently banned those players from entering the draft. For every Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady, there is sure to be Ty Tryon or Korleone Young.