PGA veteran Greg Norman says women should stick to their own tour

AP ^

[SB00]

I couldn't agree more.

[marty60]

From the THINGS golf partner? HUMMMMM

[KellyAdmirer]

I like Norman's point that these females who think they are so good that they can compete against men (and barely can) are running a huge risk of destroying their own tour. A women's tour that doesn't even have the best female players is on a fast road to oblivion. Norman makes excellent points, these gimmicks have to stop. I hope the players act on this soon.

[SixIron]

Norman summed it up- all marketing hype. There are only so many spots at each event, and it is a shame that players who have earned their cards loose an opportunity to play at a Tour event. How would the women's tour feel if some of the lower ranked men decided to invade their events, which are often played on easier courses?

[skip2myloo]

Marketing ploy ??

Indeed !!

Doesn't that pretty much describe the whole purpose of the PGA ??If these guys prefer purity to money, they should stick to USGA local events.

[LenS]

But Wie did better than Sorenstam at the age of FOURTEEN. How many male golfers could say that? Tiger maybe?

If she sticks with it, just normal development and improvement would make her competitive on the PGA tour with a chance at being a top player. Besides, if she can compete, why shouldn't she compete with the highest level of competition? If she's got the strength and skills, then why not? This isn't combat nor a full-contact sport. This is golf where one competes against a course.

[ClearCase_guy]

Isn't this pretty typical? Men's Golf has no rule against women, and simply expects people to get into the tournaments by skill. But there are loopholes that allow women to get in (through other channels, not by skill) -- and then they fail spectacularly.

Women's Golf, on the other hand, had a written rule that Men cannot play in the tournaments.

Who's inclusive? Who favors segregation? Who has a litmus test? Even the infamous Golf Club that's been in the news (Augusta?) has no actual rule against women. It simply doesn't have any women. If women ran that club, there would probably be a written rule against Men. In my experience, gender-based discrimination is almost exclusively practiced by women.

[skip2myloo]

Anika played very well against the boys. I think the pressure of the event got to her, she missed putts that are usually gimmes for her.

Still, there were several top-rated men players that missed the cut by a greater margin than she did.

Irrespective of her score, she displays a great deal more class than the pompous, overated Greg Norman.

[Lizavetta]

We can't go play on their tour because we're not female, that's the wording they have in their bylaws.

What?? But that's discrimination!! They would deliberately exclude men?

I'm shocked....shocked, I tell ya.

NOT.

[Bikers4Bush]

I'm with you.

[Phantom Lord]

Greg Norman made it clear Tuesday that he believes women have no place in men's golf events.

I disagree

The Australian star dismissed women in men's events as a marketing ploy, and said men's tours should consider changing their bylaws to prevent women from receiving sponsor's exemptions.

This I agree with.

Should women be banned from the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Events? No. If they show up at Monday qualifying and earn a spot in the tournament then they should be able to play. But the sponsors exemption entry is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

[hoppity]

It's not quite like that. The exemptions are given to those who do not have a Tour card. Anyone who has a card is qualified to enter the tournament, no exemption necessary. If you don't earn enough money (top 125, I think), you lose your card and have to go to Tour Qualifying School. If you make it through Q-School, you get your card for that year. If you don't, your at the whim of the sponsors and their exemptions.

The exemptions are the sole discretion of the tournament sponsor, technically. Now if they gave me an exemption, instead of a pro who had an off year and lost his card, I think that would be unfair to the pro. I have no chance of winning, he just needs to find his groove again to be competitive.

Tiger got a lot of exemptions his first year on Tour, because he did not go to Tour Qualifying School. He earned enough money in the tournaments to which he was invited to earn his card for the next year. There is a kid who is playing on exemptions right now who is playing well and will probably eanr enough money to get his card for next year, bumping someone else off the top 125.

[Phantom Lord]

How would the women's tour feel if some of the lower ranked men decided to invade their events, which are often played on easier courses?

Men can't compete in LPGA events. LPGA rules stipulate that all competitors must be women. It goes even further and stipulates female AT BIRTH!

The PGA Tour has no rule stipulating that only men can compete.

[Phantom Lord]

But there are loopholes that allow women to get in (through other channels, not by skill) -- and then they fail spectacularly.

There is no "loophole" that allows women to play. The sponsors exemption can be given to any person the sponsor wants. Tiger, in his first year on tour, without going to Q school and earning his PGA Tour Card was given sponsors exemptions into 6 events. Other non-card holding players have been given the exemptions as well.

[Phantom Lord]

He earned enough money in the tournaments to which he was invited to earn his card for the next year.

He also won an event. Winning a non-major provides a 2 year exemption on the tour.

Tiger has never been to, and will never be to Q School.

[beckett]

If she sticks with it, just normal development and improvement would make her competitive...

Not necessarily. In fact, she may be at her prime right now, while her body is not fully developed and still more or less boyish. It is pretty widely accepted that the mature female form has significant difficulty getting around on the swing. Other factors will also come into play as she matures. It's simply not true that a female athlete follows that same career arc as a male athlete. The peak years for a female are fewer, and they are not in their prime in their middle to late twenties, as men are, but much sooner.

There are exceptions, of course, and Wie might be one, but the odds are against her.

[King Black Robe]

The Australian star dismissed women in men's events as a marketing ploy..

It is interesting that the only people with the guts to speak up are from outside the US. We have created a real environment of intimidation in this country.

[LandofLincoln]

Norman is right. To make it right they ought to name the MPGA, just as the ladies named theirs the LPGA. OR, the men should go and start competing in LPGA events.

[atomaunt]

I heard Annika complain that the course was harder for her to compete on. If you are going to play with the boys you gotta play by their rules. No whining.

[BluSky]

"Norman is right. To make it right they ought to name the MPGA, just as the ladies named theirs the LPGA. OR, the men should go and start competing in LPGA events."

Agreed. What is so hard about this issue?

Solution:

A tour pro requests and submits registration to a LPGA event. (I'm certain LPGA has by-law language stipulation for 'Women-only' participants.)

LPGA denies entry.

Fine. PGA immediately adopts EXACT same wording of LPGA by-laws, (exchange 'women-only' text to read for 'men-only').

Done. Can't claim sex bias issues.

Case closed. Move on.