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Does a purple dress like the one Michelle Wie wore cause too much of a distraction in the Sport of Golf?

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Does a purple dress like the one Michelle Wie wore cause too much of a distraction in the Sport of Golf?
Michelle Wie rocked a purple number at the US Women's Open, last week. She did not manage to do well in the golf course. She was placed at the 35th position with a score of 298.
Her attire sparked off the old debate of distraction on the golf green. Was her dress too attention-diverting?
Diverting the opponents’ attention is an age old tactic that almost every sportsman uses. This takes various forms, from a strong perfume to bright dresses and loud noises. Every sport has strict rules about the acceptable behaviour and dress code to be
used on the field.
Wie’s dress appears to be an effort on similar vein. Usually female golfers dress in bright colours but they are not as attention grabbing as Wie’s purple dress. She was dressed in a purple dress and a purple baseball cap.
Was her dress a distracting her fellow players. Not really! There were no official complains about the dress. People attended the event despite the heat and many players were focused on getting their game over with.
This was not an isolated case of distraction during international golf events. Professional golfers are well-known for their tantrums, known as meltdowns.
These are known to be triggered by an opponent’s dress or a spectator’s cell phone. The issue escalates into a full-fledged performance marring problems and golfers have known to retire in mid-game.
A recent example is Phil Mickelson. The celebrated golfer suffered a meltdown during the recent 2012 Memorial tournament. He had to withdraw half way after an exceptionally bad performance.
The official cause of the withdrawal was ‘mental fatigue’. However, critics and analysts paint a different story.
The constant clicking of the fans’ cameras and cell phones did it for Mickelson. His partners, Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson were emphatic that it was not the fatigue but this constant background noise that finally destroyed Mickelson’s chances of a good
position on the leader board.
Bubba Watson commenting on the incident said, “Phil's a great player and a great champion and it just took him out of his game. It's sad. It's sad that cell phones can make or break a championship”.
Distractions on the golf green can be very disastrous for the player. A sudden noise or a flash of bright colour at the corner of the eye and the player could drive the ball in a bunker or a trap.
Many players do these things deliberately to keep opponents off balance. The player about to tee off is subjected to a flash of colours from the player and the drive goes in an erratic direction. The culprit gains an upper hand that could decide the outcome
of the game.
Both players and spectators are guilty of this offense. Fans, particularly in the heat of the moment, do things that affect the player. Clicks, shouts and, in rare cases, thrown objects are the showstoppers that spoil the show.
Players are no less guilty of the offense. Golf players often use bright colours to confuse other players. The case of Wie wearing the purple dress illustrates the concept. This dressing was not pre meditated malice
Rather, it appears that her sponsors, Nike, gave her the colour to wear. She probably wore it without any further thought. She probably realised her mistake but could not change out of her dress.
 
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.

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