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Originally Posted by alysheba88
Her caddy is one of the best on tour. He is getting paid nicely. She finished in the top 5 in two back to back majors this year. She is already one of the top 5 women players in the world and she is 16.
Does the John Deere Classic have the right to invite who they want? If you want to criticize someone, criticize them. They are the ones who gave her (and several men who are not exempt) an exemption
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -- Teenage prodigy Michelle Wie has fired her caddie following her worst LPGA Tour finish in two years at last week's women's British Open.
Greg Johnston, who had worked for the 16-year-old Hawaiian since she turned professional last October, learned of his dismissal shortly before he left the UK on Monday.
"I was shocked and surprised, I thought we had a successful year," Johnston was quoted as saying by Golf Digest magazine on Tuesday.
Widely considered the most exciting young talent in the game since Tiger Woods, Wie tied for 26th at Royal Lytham on Sunday after failing to break par in all four rounds.
It was the first time this year she did not finish in the top five at a major.
Wie was not immediately available for comment but a New York public relations firm issued a statement on her behalf, saying Johnston's "hard work and dedication made him a great partner for Michelle, as he would be for any other golfer".
The statement continued: "His departure comes as part of Michelle's maturation as a golfer, part of which is learning from many different bright golf minds.
"We wish Greg the best, and are sure he will have a long and successful career."
Wie, who attends Punahou High School in Honolulu, is not scheduled to return to tournament golf until the European Tour's European Masters from Sept. 7-10 when she will be taking on the men for the ninth time in a professional event.
She is due to play in the PGA Tour's 84 Lumber Classic the following week.
During the women's British Open, Wie was handed a two-shot penalty in the second round on Friday.
She was penalized after touching a lump of moss on her backswing in a greenside bunker at the 14th hole, turning a five into a triple-bogey seven and a round of 72 into a 74.
The American teen came into the tournament with high hopes after a second-place finish at the previous week's Evian Masters, and top-five finishes in her previous four majors.