Posted on 05/29/2003 12:35:36 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Annika Sorenstam, who dominates the Ladies Professional Golf Association, became the first female golfer to play in a Professional Golf Association event in 58 years.
She finished her first day one over par, but did not make the 36-hole cut because during the second day she finished with a 74, missing the cut by four shots.
During her press conference, she sounded surprisingly down, and practically conceded that she reached beyond reasonable expectations. Hey, after one try, why not give it another shot before throwing in the towel?
In any case, many fail to realize that the PGA never forbade female competitors. Indeed, Babe Didrikson Zaharias played in a PGA tournament in 1945, making the 36-hole cut, but failing to make the 54-hole cut. By contrast, the LPGA tour, by definition, confines its entrants to females.
How did Sorenstam qualify for Texas' Colonial invitational in the first place? She received a "sponsors' exemption," which allows, by any criteria, a select number of entrants to play. Some men, at first, grumbled that she failed to qualify by playing in a tournament from the women's rather than from the men's tee. She, therefore – according to the critics – entered under less trying circumstances than those required for men.
Golfer Vijay Singh, in particular, said, "I hope she misses the cut. Why? Because she doesn't belong out here." He then quickly backed up and said, "She's the best woman golfer in the world, and I want to emphasize 'woman.' We have our tour for men, and they have their tour. She's taking a spot from someone in the field." Yet, in years past, several men received sponsors' exemptions, including past "champions" no longer competitive. Thus, she did not "take a space" from a male tour golfer.
What's the harm? Last year, the 32-year-old Swede won 13 tournaments, exerting a dominance beyond that of even Tiger Woods. Fellow LPGA player Juli Inkster likens Sorenstam to Woods, "She's the Tiger Woods of our tour. If Tiger had a 'next level' to go to, I bet he would do it. I think she's one who always wants to challenge herself and see how she stacks up against the best. The men are the best."
Sorenstam simply crushes her league. She hits a ball longer than many men. She said she made no statement concerning women – not one of those I-am-woman-hear-me-roar deals, but simply sought to elevate her game by playing with the best.
Does this mean that men can now compete in an LPGA Tournament?
Years ago, a boy in New York tried out for and made the girls' high-school field-hockey team, which state regulations allowed him to do because there was no boys' field-hockey team. New York reporter Melissa Hebert summed it up precisely when she wrote, "With girls going out for boys' teams, the question is, is she good enough? When a boy goes out for a girls' team, the question often is, is he bad enough?"
One female commentator cheered on Sorenstam and called golf a "non-gender sport." If, by that, she means both sexes play the game, sure. If, however, she suggests that most professionals possess equal skills or hit the ball just as far, she fails to properly credit Annika with abilities far beyond those of most professional female golfers.
As mentioned earlier, Annika called the Colonial a one-time event, and that she did not anticipate entering into any other male events. The Colonial, say experienced golfers, while 700 yards longer than the typical LPGA setup, remains one of the shorter men's courses with only two par fives, and thus the Colonial is one where women might likely compete more effectively. Other courses, with higher pars, likely serve more problematic for female golfers, however talented.
Still, Sorenstam beat 11 other men, and displayed poise, class and a sense of humor. Hey, if a female pitcher for the New York Yankees can throw a 95-mile-an-hour fastball, imagine the attendance.
Where is Martha Burk, the woman who banged on the gates to let women into Augusta? Where is the National Organization for Women, one of whose chapter presidents disagreed with charging Scott Peterson for double homicide in the murder of his wife, Laci, and unborn son, Conner?
As a step forward for, call it, female achievement and accomplishment – especially without the supportive agitation of some civil-rights group – this seems far more historically significant. Most male golfers offered support, and, in fact, pulled for her and cheered her on. Television ratings soared, and the event drew 400 reporters, nearly four times the customary number. Meanwhile, Burk's anti-Masters protest drew about 50 attendees, many of them members of the press.
Somehow, someway, Sorenstam pulled this off without NOW's Kim Gandy or the National Council of Women's Organizations' Burk. Say it ain't so.
Yep. While her talents may never equal the average male golfer, athletes in any sport could take an example from her conduct. She seems to be a very classy lady.
Any other tournament course is longer by 300 yards which would have added greatly to her problems and score. She is a good golfer capable of playing in the middle of the mens tour on some golf courses, not Augusta not the OPEN. Elder's comments are thought provoking not liberal.
Wouldn't it be more appropriate for a female to break into the bigs with the Phillies?
Do ya reckon that the fact she's married, and apparently happily, has anything to do with the difference? Annika never set out to "dis the men", it was a personal challenge. While I don't think she really belonged there, I think her admission that she (the worlds best female golfer) was over her head on a course that gave her the best opportunity for success, will be a good thing and prevent any real "movements" from trying to subvert the game.
Remember the "uproar" when that guy with the physical problems got legal permission to ride a cart? Where is he now, and do you remember his name? Exactly, he's a non-issue because he wasn't really competative...
I agree, because a golfer is competing against the course much more than against any other golfer. This distinguishes Annika's appearance at the Colonial (or at any PGA event) from the Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs-type of situation. It's not mano a mano, as it would be if a woman were on the pitcher's mound at Dodger Stadium or trying to defend a Tim Duncan hook shot.
My husband and I golf together, and I frequently hit from the same tees as he. Whether I score better does not depend on how well he plays, only on how well I handle each hole of the course on that particular day.
Sure, we all love Larry, because he's black and conservative. But if he's remarking on how she accomplished something by somehow "beating" 11 guys, he's showing he does not understand professional golf. Annika showed that she is not capable of competing with men because she is not capable of making birdies. She was playing not to win or compete, but only in persuit of making the cut. Tour players who sought only to make the cut every week would quickly starve, as they are responsible for their own expenses. Everyone who missed the cut got paid nothing for their efforts. All eleven guys that she "beat" had several birdies. They were taking risks, trying to shoot low scores. She had two. She was trying to shoot par.
The best analogy is to Olympic downhill skiing. These guys are all so good, that the only way for most of them to win is to take the most risk and get away with it. Litterally, the guy who skis closest to the edge without wiping out wins. In a tournament like this, the guy who throws up the most birds is going to end up winning. Bogeys are few and far between on such an easy course. Kenny Perry had 21 birdies and an eagle over the four days. If any of the eleven guys Sorenstam "beat" had any interest in competing with her, instead of against the course and the field, they would have no problem doing so. But it wouldn't have done them any good. She missed the cut by four strokes. And these guys are trying to put food on the table, not be the male champion in a goofy battle of the sexes.
And if it wasn't a battle of the sexes, how come apologists keep pointing to those 11 guys she "beat"?
I don't know whether she has utilized "help" or if she simply used a traditional method, however I still have my suspicians.
If women's desire to compete with men in any professional sport encourages the use of steroids and/or growth hormones it should be discouraged. Not only for reasons of health, but asthetics. I already have suspicion that it is going on in women vs. women already.
As imoressionable as young women are today, do we really want women to look like this??
< /sarcasm >
*Whack*
This is the best synopsis offered by anyone; succinctly summerizing Larry's screed. ;=)
I like this analyzis.
You may say that I do not understand professional golf, but I don't think Annika did it for publicity reasons in any way, shape or form. I think Annika wanted to find out if she could play golf with the men. I think she found out she did credibly.
I was being sarcastic. That is why I put "liberal" in quotes.
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