Won and done(Vijay Singh wins Byron Nelson)-(Tears o'Martha Burke Alert)

Fort Worth Startlegram ^ | 5/19/03 | Gil Lebreton

[Mister Baredog]

Do you feel the same about men who have won tournaments playing on the womens tour?

Not really, there's a hugh difference, Annika is challenging herself by going to play in a TOUGHER situation, men in womens tournaments would not be at all the same, who are the men you think would like to do this anyway? The men have at least 3 or 4 choices of tours where they can play. IMHO this is a one time deal and the advertisers are surely getting their moneys worth, wouldn't you agree?

[Mister Baredog]

Does that mean she has to wear long pants?

Payne Stewart didn't wear long pants.

[Cedric]

Make no mistake, Annika angled for this exemption. In so many words, she said so!

[Mister Baredog]

Oh, and by the way, every one of them could beat Annika with just a 5 iron and a putter!

That's an overstatement. She won 13 tournaments last year. She has a better winning record than Tiger Woods, she's not just any woman, she is the BEST ever.

[Labyrinthos]

Payne Stewart didn't wear long pants.

True, but his legs were completely covered.

[Lou L]

Does that mean she has to wear long pants?

There was a Q & A piece in this month's "Golf Digest" that asked the very same thing. GD's answer: yes, she will be wearing pants in this week's tourney. Her caddie however, may wear shorts.

[discostu]

Gosh I thought nobody cared. Looks like it's you and your drinking budies that don't care.

[jrawk]

Not only yes, but they are on average 50 to 60 yards further back than LPGA Tees.

Her drive is about 50 yards shorter as well. Every hole will play 100 yards longer. It will be an awesome accomplishment if she makes the cut.

More power to her, and her sponsors, she has broken no rules by playing. But if she really wants to test herself against the men like she has said to the public, perhaps she should go to the PGA Qualifying School and try and get a card to play in the tournament.

-- lates
-- jrawk

[Cedric]

the sponsor gives the exemption to either top ranked amateurs (like Tiger before he went pro or that 16 year old kid we have seen of late...

And Tiger didn't make the cut, did he? Case closed. Call your sister-in-law.

[Cedric]

It will be interesting to see if you see "Lady Titelist" imprinted on the @$$ of any of the PGA players next week....

I doubt it. Annika can't hit it hard enough!

[an amused spectator]

Oh, and by the way, every one of them could beat Annika with just a 5 iron and a putter!

No, they couldn't.

[Cedric]

There's a thing called the Monday Qualifier where the aspirant can play his/her way into the tournament. Earn it, Annika!

[Mister Baredog]

What's so historic about getting into a tournament just because you're a woman.

That's idiotic. She is the BEST womens golfer EVER. She"s won more that Tiger Woods. She's not just any woman, she is the best they have ever seen, this is a one-time deal and I'm pretty sure Bank of America is pretty pleased about the whole thing, after all, they are paying for it.

[TomB]

Make no mistake, Annika angled for this exemption. In so many words, she said so!

By "angled", you seem to imply that she dropped hints to certain executives and administrators that she'd like to play. In fact, her agent sent a letter to the Tournament specifically asking for an exemption.

This was her (and her agent's) idea exclusively.

[presidio9]

Gosh I thought nobody cared. Looks like it's you and your drinking budies that don't care.

Take it to another you must. My comment was:

"People talk about a lot of things. Apart from serious golf fans and some militant feminists nobody cares enough to watch. Nothing you say will change that. Now, you might argue that whether they watch or not B of A wins. People are aware of the controversy, but Nobody knows who the sponsor is. You are dead-wrong on this subject. "

I guess Martha Burke is mainstream in your world. She qualifies as a militant feminist in mine. Have you ever been right about anything? Have you ever admitted you were wrong about anything?

[Labyrinthos]

You really are brain dead this morning. The issue is not whether the sponsor's exemption can make the cut, but rather, what sort of discretion the sponsor has in handing out exemptions. You basically called Cincinatus and VRWCmember idiots (post no. 15) because they had the nerve to suggest that sponsors often hand out exemptions to has-beens. In fact, the sponsors do just that -- they often give the exemptions has-beens and promising amateurs. Whether they make the cut is not the issue. The has-beens get the exemptions because they have served as loyal ammbassadors for the sponsor over the years, and the top amateurs get the exemptions in the hopes they will promote the sponsor if they become successful pros.

[Cedric]

Annika may or may not make the cut, but I feel pretty certain this will wind up in a Harvard Business School text book as a case study in brilliant sports marketing....


Wrong. This is {like many similar "unearned" benefits} doomed. It'll be a short-term "win" from a marketing standpoint, but it will be a long-term "loser" when she fails and embarrasses herself and further discredits these kinds of stunts.

[discostu]

Ah more wiggling. Interfere doesn't mean interefere, and nobody doesn't mean nobody. Worked in the Clinton White House huh?

[discostu]

You're not getting it. BoA doesn't care how she does. All the free publicity is happening now. If her performance is so poor no one will dare do this again... even better. Unique publicity stunts are even cooler if they stay unique.

[Cedric]

If Annika is so great, how come John Smoltz beat her? I mean, here's a guy who spends most of his time pitching for the Braves, and he beat the world's greatest female golfer. You'd have to think that the guys who play golf for a living would be able to do better than him.


Excellent. There are lots of "scratch" male amateurs who could beat Annika. That's just the way it is!