Big Lead Sports Bar


Michelle Wie is No Phi Beta Kappa

As you probably know by now, the 2010 U.S. Women's Open is just days away from getting underway at Oakmont, and the players are already in town, busy with practice rounds and such.

It takes a lot for a women's golf post to be presented for the approval of the discriminating MH audience; but I thought this exchange with the heavily-hyped Michelle Wie at Oakmont would serve as a nice intro for the upcoming tournament that will be held in our backyard (emphasis is mine):
MODERATOR:  I was thinking about it, and when Michelle won the LPGA tournament that she won earlier in the year, I was thinking I believe you were the only college student to ever win a tournament in the LPGA Tour. That's another little feather in your cap. Just tell us a little bit. You won a tournament now. You're still in college. Are you a Phi Beta Kappa yet?

MICHELLE WIE: No sorority for me yet, but it's been fun. It's been a lot of fun. You know, it's great, but I want to do better this year, and I just want to keep doing better and better. College is fun; it's a lot of hard work. It all pays off in the end.

Apparently, the worldly Wie doesn't realize that Phi Beta Kappa is actually a widely-known academic honor society, so I'm guessing she probably won't become a card-carrying member anytime soon.

Then again, she wouldn't be the first Stanford student to be so fixated on golf that they eventually lose touch with the rest of the world.

HT: The Seibel and Starkey Show


AJ said...

I hope nobody explains to her what Magna Cum-Laude means either... I'd just like to see the expression on her face when she's asked about it.

Broke But Still Drinking said...

I'm guessing a good bit of her popularity came from people misspelling the popular Nintendo video game system, especially people looking for golfing games.

SantoGold said...

(Gulp)....I would have thought it was a sorority as well.

Always good to learn something new.

Chad said...

I can't get on her case for this. I didn't know that. I would bet there are a fair amount of people that don't either.

Unknown said...

I would get on her case. Its not like she goes to Slippery Rock. She goes to Stanford, one of the top universities in the world. Phi Beta Kappa is only at top academic schools - one would assume that is common knowledge at a top school.

Unknown said...

Phi Beta Kappa is a nationwide society honoring students for the excellence and breadth of their undergraduate scholarly accomplishments. Membership in the Stanford Chapter (Beta of California) is open to undergraduates of all majors. To be elected to Phi Beta Kappa at Stanford, a student must achieve academic distinction in the major as well as in courses across a broad range of fields.

Approximately a tenth of the members of a graduating class are elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Of this number, about one fifth are chosen in their junior year, the remainder in their senior year.

Aaron said...

I was not Phi Beta Kappa, but most of my friends were. I guess I was the slacker.

And also why maybe the only thought I had was "That hat is ENORMOUS!"