Its no surprise to anyone who regularly plays the game, but despite decades of scientific improvements in clubs and balls, the average golf score remains the same: around 100 for 18 holes.

The average 18-hole score for the average golfer remains at about 100, as it has for decades, according to the National Golf Foundation, an industry research-and-consulting service. Among more serious recreational golfers who register their scores with the U.S. Golf Association, the average handicap index, a scoring tool, has dropped 0.5 strokes since 2000. On the PGA Tour this year, the average score of players has risen, by 0.28 strokes, compared with 10 years ago.

I can’t be the only one who watched Paula Creamer win this past weekend and thought that this is what Michelle Wie should be doing ... instead of tilting at windmills.

Michelle Wie shot a 76 on Friday in her US Open local qualifier, which left her in a three-way tie for sixth.

However, she still has an outside chance, as she was declared the second alternate for sectionals.

I really don’t know why she is fixated on playing against the men. If she’s really got that kind of game, then she should be beating up on the women on a regular basis. But she’s not.

Her father, B.J. (Bad Judgement) Wie needs to do some thinking about their strategy.

The only thing I can think of is that there must be some outside agency pushing the Wies to do this. Perhaps one of the big golf companies has promised massive amounts of endorsement money in the future ... or even may have BJ on the payroll right now (they can’t pay Michelle, but they could pay her father as a “consultant” or somesuch. We’ve all seen this sort of unscrupulous strategy in NCAA sports).

This upcoming week, Annika Sorenstam will try to extend her five match winning streak at the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill.

But as impresive as six straight wins might sound on the surface of it, The Desert Sun’s Larry Bohannan says that many will see her accomplishment as marred because her schedule has been very light. In fact, the streak extends back to November 2004.

I won’t be one her critics. Six straight is six straight.

The former caddie of Jackie Gallagher-Smith (shown above) is suing his former boss, claiming that she seduced him with the intention of turning him into an unwitting sperm donor.

Hmmm.

Taking a lesson from Vijay, an not wanting to end up as the victims of the dark forces of political correctness, Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie have “endorsed” Michelle Wie’s bid to enter the Open Championship.

The Royal And Ancient has opened the door for women to compete in the Open Championship.

The event, which currently is open only to men with a scratch handicap, apparently would be open in the future to women with a “plus” handicap. The tougher requirements would be due to the women playing from shorter tees. In the Open, they would play from the regular tees.

Weirdly, the R&A seems open to the possibility of Michelle Wie playing this year. The 15-year-old phenom is playing in the John Deere just before the open, and if she finished as the leading non-exempt player, she would qualify for the Open Championship.

Its not going to happen. But its fun to think about.