Annika Meets the Boys at Colonial [Finishes Day +1]

CBS Sports/USA Network and PGA.com ^ | May 22, 2003 | Jim Nantz

[ewing]

LPGA player Annika Sorenstam will be teeing off shortly in a men's PGA event at the Colonial Country Club [the first time in 60 years this has happened]

Live shot for shot coverage as long as she is in contention to make the cut on USA Networks, PGA Radio is free today for those cubicle bound and wanting live update (link included)

[1Old Pro]

Yep... No biggie... just start rollin' em' in from 25. *grin* Heck, if I could do that regularly I'd be on tour.

Yep, if I could average 350 yards per drive with 100% fairways hit I could probably compete.

[presidio9]

So, If my mother who is a 20 handicap decides to play me from the blues, she does not get any extra strokes?

[kjam22]

I agree with you. I understand the women here who are glad to see Anna "succeed". But a longer course will kill her. There is a huge difference in hitting 2 iron to the green verses 6 iron. I would suspect that some posting here do not have the experience to completely understand that difference.

[presidio9]

Trust me, there are.

[NittanyLion]

Expect to see lower scores coming in.

For players teeing off in the afternoon, so far the scoring does seem to be noticeably lower than the morning rounds. And that's excluding those at even par.

Your theory may be correct.

[cschroe]

So, If my mother who is a 20 handicap decides to play me from the blues, she does not get any extra strokes? Incomplete information for a definitive answer. Making some assumptions from the nature of the way you pased that question, if your Mom is a 20 handicap and so are you, and you both play from the same tees, she gets nada in the stroke department by the rules. Of course, being the mindful and dutiful son that you surely are, you give her strokes just because she's your Mom.

[over3Owithabrain]

Give the horse the credit for equestrian! And give the judges credit for diving. As to your other games, thanks for introducing me to those "sports". But I stick with my original debate with the orignal poster I was arguing with, most of which you probably missed before you piled on. Sorenstam would not win on the PGA tour, nor would women have a chance if men plyed in the LPGA under the same rules. Duh, why do you think they have two separate leagues anyway? It's really simple and by no means intended to insult. I never said Annaka shouldn't play.

[Bob J]

I have never once insulted Anaka or women in general...

Forget it. A mysogynist used to be anyone who hated women. Thanks to feminism, now it means anyone women hate.

[ArneFufkin]

makes for a good show on an otherwise dull lackluster event.

This is a lousy field. No Woods, Love, Els, Mickelson, Toms, Weir, Singh or any of the best Euros save Sergio (remember me?) Garcia.

This could be a Furyk weekend.

[presidio9]

Make that MOST posting here do not understand the difference. I am impressed as hell with the round she played out there. But that does not mean she somehow now "belongs."

[kevkrom]

That's a tall order. An earlier post indicated that players make about 10-20% of their putts outside of 15 feet.

So, with the number of long putts she had today, at that percentage she would have hit somewhere between 1 and 3 of those long putts. Meaning, she could have shot as low as 68 if she were hitting them at an "average" rate.

Personally, it sounds like she was playing very conservatively today. I would guess she will do so again tomorrow and then open it up a little if she makes the weekend.

[Ready4Freddy]

Please post those requirements, then, and we'll judge whether or not BofA met them in proffering an exemption to AS back in Feb, OK?

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Phil Mickelson is playing in this tournament.

[jpl]

I will, too. I wonder if Annika getting all the attention robs him of the spotlight or helps him tremendously... probably both.

I agree that it is probably both.

Any idea what the weather forecast is supposed to be like tomorrow? If the course plays as easily tomorrow as it did today, the cut will almost certainly be even par at worst.

[presidio9]

Nonsense. The sport already recognizes that there are differences between men and women. As a matter of fact, women and men play different courses in more ways than one. Different holes have different handicap numbers for women.

[over3Owithabrain]

Yeah you're right lol
What's the term for men so afraid of women that they have to pretend there are no differences between the two?

[1Old Pro]

I am impressed as hell with the round she played out there.

I figured she'd be 4 over after the first round and she is 1 over. She's a great golfer and held up impresively. However, it's a short course and she should make the greens in regulation. Thus, she should hit between par and 4 over IMHO.

[NittanyLion]

I agree with you. I understand the women here who are glad to see Anna "succeed". But a longer course will kill her. There is a huge difference in hitting 2 iron to the green verses 6 iron. I would suspect that some posting here do not have the experience to completely understand that difference.

I think everyone agrees she played an excellent round today. And there's no way she's going to sink many more long putts than she did this morning. I suspect we'll see another round in the 70-72 range, which will put her in about the 80th percentile.

An ambiguous result, really. Anyone with a bias will claim vindication.

[Bob J]

Yes, but my opinion is the course rating system is flawed when it comes to difficulty and length. I can play an easy muni with a rating of say 70.2, and shoot an 82. I go to a difficult long course with a rating of 73.4 and I'd shoot a 95.

The courses the PGA play on are the toughest in the world. The only way to compare handicaps or golfers is to play on the same courses from the same tees on the same days. Hell, even the time of day can make a difference.

[presidio9]

Look it up yourself on pgatour.com. Trust me, they exist and I am having deja vu all over again.