Women qualifies for men's PGA Tour event

Washington Post ^ | Sept. 19, 2002 | Leonard Shapiro

[Phantom Lord]

A Historic Tee Time, if She Takes It
Woman Qualifies for PGA Tour Event, Weighs Decision to Play

Suzy Whaley, a teaching golf professional in Connecticut, has become the first woman to qualify to play in a Professional Golfers' Association Tour event and now must decide whether she will follow the encouragement of the tour, her family and fellow competitors and play in next summer's Greater Hartford Open

Whaley won the PGA of America's Connecticut sectional championship tournament to earn the automatic qualification at a time when Augusta National Golf Club is manning the barricades to keep women from even joining the all-male club that is the site of the prestigious Masters tournament. Whaley must weigh the merits of being a pioneer against the possibility of being overmatched on a lengthy PGA Tour course.

Rest of the story...

[Balata]

I don't know which tees she qualified from, but I do know she didn't play the normal womens's tees. If they made a compensation for her and put her on different tees she still would find it difficult to compete.

[tjg]

Yes to both questions, and that's going to be the big problem for her, which she freely admits.

[tjg]

"Being a male is not a requirement for entering a PGA event, whereas being a female is a requirement for LPGA events (as implied by the name "Ladies Professional Golf Association")."

I think the point is, that if it's time for men to stop excluding women from thier organizations, events and clubs, maybe it's time for women to do the same.

[wi jd]

Suzy said "It would be an insult for me to even think I could beat Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson."

Can Phil beat Tiger?

[tjg]

Why did you quit? Don't you "en-joie" golf anymore?

[tjg]

People that hit left become "En-raged". Shortly after their clubs become "En-tangled" with a tree trunk.

[mdittmar]

Is she cute?

[GRRRRR]

THERE ya go...that's what I want to see...some guys showing up at the LPGA tourney and demanding entrance..that ought to shut that Burke womans pie hole up big time....

[tjg]

A reason might be that she is afraid she will be embarassed.

[patent]

>>>>A reason might be that she is afraid she will be embarassed.

LOL. No more than I would be, and most likely quite a bit less. I'd still go. The chance to say I played in a PGA?

Were I a female though, I could see skipping it though because I wouldn't want the women's groups trying to use my appearence in a political fight over golf clubs though. I'd probably still go, and just speak out against them if they tried to use my name.

patent

[deport]

We report you decide.....

Wed Sep 18, 5:47 PM ET

Suzy Whaley leaves a local television station after being interviewed Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002 in West Hartford, Conn. Whaley, 35, is head pro at a Connecticut golf course and became the first woman to qaulify for a PGA Tour event when she won PGA Section Championship Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2002 at Ellington Ridge, Conn. (AP Photo/Bob Child)

[ChiMark]

So John Daly should play in any LPGA event. He'll qualify.
But he will not be allowed. He's a man and that threatens this so called equality movement. This is a ploy to keep the LPGA viable. This tour is weak. I noticed that ratings are never released about LPGA telecasts. Usually the Chi- Trib gives out these stats on PGA events but rarely shows LPGA numbers. Can you say no ratings. Besides women prefer to watch men play.

[mdittmar]

A round of golf and a few rounds in the clubhouse,hmmm.

[tjg]

I'd go too. It's an opportunity that I wouldn't be able to pass up.

I suspect she'll go, but who knows? You can never tell about women. She might turn it down because she's afraid that TV will make her butt look big.

[Grampa7030]

I say congratulations and best wishes. My only regret is I don't have the talent to qualify myself. I agree that she will not be competitive and will surely miss the cut by a wide margin. But she gets to play a great course in front of a large audience and take her shots. She qualified legitimately so I see no problem here. There is no guarantee, the 2nd place finisher in the qualifier would do any better. I think the top women have a hard time finding competition at the local level and that is why you see them occasionally enter men's events. It really is not a problem.

[Trajan88]

Is golf a sport? In other words... who cares!

I know I don't. MLB and the NFL are in full swing. YES!

Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88; Law Hall (may it R.I.P.) Ramp 9 Mule.

[ml/nj]

You know all this talk about John Daly, or any guy, playing in an LPGA event is just as stupid as NOW wanting one of their hags to join Augusta. This conservative thinks there is nothing wrong with events restricted to women, any more than with events restricted to juniors, or people from one State.

If this filly can run in unrestricted events, more power to her. (I wouldn't go betting on her though.)

ML/NJ

[philetus]

We might as well find out.
Here's a copy of the email I sent to the LPGA:

Hi,It looks like women, thanks to Suzy Whaley, are going to start competing in the PGA, so some of us men who are not good enough to compete in the PGA are thinking we would like to compete in the LPGA.
Please email me with info on the requirements.

Thanks


Clinton

[southernnorthcarolina]

I have no problem with a woman playing in a PGA event...

BUT...

You can't have it both ways.

Go the unisex route if that's what you really want. Allow men and women to enter, attempt to qualify, and play in both PGA and LPGA events. Or, keep to gender-specific events. Pick one. But it's illogical and unfair to allow a woman to enter a male PGA event, without allowing a man to enter an LPGA event.

[Phantom Lord]

If women truly can’t compete then a competitive qualification process will keep them out. This woman won that though, so she should go play.

She also played from the ladies tees. Would she have won if she had been playing from 'the tips' with the men?

NO!