I caught the highlights of the Sony Open yesterday, and I’ll admit that it grabbed my attention when they devoted a segment to Michelle Wie’s round.

I realize that Michelle’s participation in the Sony is a controversial subject. There are some who don’t believe she belongs there. After all, she is female, she’s very young, and it’s historically been a PGA event.

Wie didn’t help that argument yesterday. She just plain and simply had a bad day. It was her home course in Oahu, which should have given her an advantage, but her touch was off, especially on her putts. Alternatively, there were a lot of men out there who also seemed to have lost their touch yesterday, so the argument loses some of it’s validity. I saw chip shots go from bunker to bunker, and some pretty poor putting by quite a few players.

I’m not discrediting Wie in any way. I have to give the girl a lot of credit. It takes a heck of a lot of confidence, guts, and skill to place yourself amongst the company of some of these men. The mere fact that she possesses these traits at such a young age is remarkable. She may not make it this year, or the next. But if Michelle continues improving and doesn’t let days like yesterday discourage her, she might be a force for the guys to reckon with.

I know one thing; I have a 16 year old daughter who is about the same build as Michelle. If my daughter were in her shoes, I’d be pretty proud of her just for trying.