Q&A: Tournament director on Wie involvement

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The Tournament Director of The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, Michael Stearns, sat down with PGA.COM Coordinating Producer John Kim to discuss why Michelle Wie was extended an invitation to play and why it's already proven to be a great decision.

Q: Michael, thank you for joining us, I know it's a crazy time for you. So let's get to the chase. Michelle Wie engenders a great amount of scrutiny and opinions throughout the golf world. Why was she invited to play in this event?

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Michelle Wie will compete this week in Reno.

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Stearns: Michelle is a great player and our mission is to bring together the best possible tournament for this community. When I was first hired in February, Michelle's name was brought up as an idea for participating -- if she was willing and playing well enough. I made a call to the family and we had a great discussion. You know, I have three children of my own and that was the premise of my talk with the Wie family, that we wanted to make sure that this would be something that didn't hurt Michelle in any way. It was a nice talk, they were very appreciative and said they'd consider it. As time progressed and her game was obviously getting sharp, she ultimately accepted the invitation. And of course, we're happy she did.

Q: Some people love to see her play on the PGATOUR, others not as much. But people do watch?

Stearns: Absolutely. She is one of those sports figures that generates a real genuine excitement. People stop and watch. They go out of their way to watch her. There has been a tremendous amount of positive response in the local community, everyone seems to be really happy that she's here. Of course, there are people around that don't agree with the invitation, and I understand that, but from what I see, from my experience and the tournament's mission, it has been a great thing. Let me give you an example. On Monday, we had a clinic with The First Tee. Michelle came out and hit some shots, answered questions from the kids and you could just see what a great asset she is for the game and industry of golf. The young girls in the group were just so excited and they obviously look at her as a real role model and hero. In today's paper, I read where a few of the girls at the clinic stated that they are planning on being "the next Michelle Wie", they want to set records, get a scholarship to Stanford, things like that. I think too many people look over the tremendous influence Michelle Wie has on the young golfers today. I don't know that we can fully appreciate it short term, but ultimately, we will, I believe, see the benefits of having Michelle Wie in the golf world. And let's not forget, she's 18 years old. I don't know many 18-year olds who could withstand the scrutiny she's had to. She is a very composed young lady and a wonderful golfer.

Q: Let's talk about the short term, as in this week. What kind of feedback have you been getting from other players, the fans?

Stearns: I think David Duval put it best when he said "you're in or you're not in. It's pretty simple." He has an opinion on what he thinks Michelle should do for her career, but says that he understands what Michelle does for the tournament. He said that if someone needs a sponsor exemption, they probably aren't helping the tournament sell tickets as it is. And the fact is, she does "move the needle." I just got a phone call from a gentleman who lives in the Bay area, and he wanted to get some details because he is coming over for three days and he wants to watch golf history being made. And there are a lot of stories like his in the galleries that will be here this week. If she plays like we all think she can, this could be a monumental week.

Q: Speaking of David Duval, you have some great players in the field. Quite a few former champions -- major championship winners are here.

Stearns: We do have a good field. In fact, we have the grand slam covered, winners from every major. David Duval, Larry Mize, Lee Janzen. and Steve Elkington are among the great champions we have here. So people are going to see many top players in addition to Michelle.

Q: Absolutely, there are some big names here. But let me ask you real quick, for the Wednesday Pro-Am draw, who was the first player selected?

Stearns: [laughter] That'd be Michelle Wie.

Q: Exactly.