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)

[Cincinatus]

Yep -- I was off by a stroke. Maybe I got it reversed -- we'll see tomorrow!

[1Old Pro]

To: 1Old Pro

72 and 72. She barely misses the cut.

posted on 05/21/2003 10:19 PM EDT by CharacterCounts

[William McKinley]

You are right- there are some criteria that still have to be met. I believe it is a 2 handicap or better? But those criteria were met.

My point is, that for these tournaments, there are those who do not have to qualify (due to past PGA success), those who do have to qualify, and those who get sponsor exemptions. All three are legitimate ways of earning the way into the tournament. Her spot today was legitimate, as long as there are going to be sponsor exemptions.

[Mr. Mojo]

then that course will play entirely differently tomorrow for EVERYBODY. The greens were slow for EVERYBODY today.

#1) PGA players are used to fast greens; LPGA players are not.

#2) Fast greens will leave her at a distinct disadvantage on her iron shots. Men spin the ball much harder, and therefore get their iron shots to stick to the greens a lot more easily. Today's slow greens negated that advantage (for the men). If the greens are faster tomorrow, their advantage will be back.

[Teacher317]

She's tied for 70th now that the rest of the field is starting up.

[presidio9]

Mud ball

150 other players dealt with at least one bad break today. Nobody's making excuses for them. I hope she shoots 65 tomorrow, but the ignorance of those who thought that she would definitely make the cut was unfair to the 60 great players who won't. All she showed me today is that she could never compete on Tour. She can't make birdies, so she shoots for the middle of every green hoping to make par. She fired at exactly one flag (18) and made bogey. If she played that way consistently on Tour, she probably would make a few cuts before she starved to death.

[Bob J]

Parse it anyway you want, the fact is exemptions are nothing but a way to get around qualification rules. By your definition, if BofA gave an exemption invite to Bill Clinton because they thought it would increase media coverage and TV ratings, he would have "earned" that spot.

Gimme a break.

[NittanyLion]

It appears that as of the last update 27 players are in with a 70 or better. 7 players (including Annika) are at 71. 8 are 72 or worse. That leaves about 80 or so on the course or waiting to tee off.

It also puts Sorenstam between the 60th and 70th percentile. I'm not sure what to make of it: by all accounts a very good day will probably put her at the mid-back of the pack. I suppose we'll have a better idea after Friday's round.

[Labyrinthos]

Again I say name a SPORT, not a game of aim or steady hands.

Your original challenge was to name a sport, without any kind of qualifying language. Archery and curling are Olympic sports. So are the equestrian events. Olympic diving is another sport. In all of these sports, the best woman could beat the best man at a better rate than the 1 in a 100 that you predicted.

[TomB]

Only partly true. The PGA sets some very exacting standards for those exemptions. No way in hell BofA could have given me and my 14 handicap an exemption, even if I was a favorite former local club pro and current CFO of BofA.

That isn't quite true, along with Babe Zaharius, other's have gotten exemptions that didn't quite fit the bill. From an article on CNN/SI.com:

" Past sponsor exemptions have backfired. In 1992, Kemper Open officials wanted to spice up their event, so they gave one to Washington Redskin quarterback Mark Rypien. Rypien shot 80-91, not only embarrassing himself but the tournament as well. Another "great" sponsor exemption that didn't work happened 13 years ago. Remember Mason Wolf? Probably not. I'm sure there's one tournament he'd like to forget as well. In 1990, Wolf was an assistant pro at the C.C. of South Sapphire Valley. Thanks to one of its members, Jack Mosely, who also happened to be Chairman and CEO of USF&G, Wolf received an exemption into the USF&G Classic in New Orleans. Wolf shot 90-93 to set the highest 36-hole score recorded in the last 30 years on the PGA Tour."

[1Old Pro]

The cut will be around even par or 1 over. If she does no better than 1 over tomorrow I don't think she'll make the cut.

[William McKinley]

But with very few exceptions, the sponsor slots are in every single tournament. They are a fact of life. Perhaps you feel there should not be any such exemptions, which is fine, but the sponsors negotiate to have them, and without the sponsors there would be no tournament, so to me it seems pretty clear that they have earned the right to have them.

[kjam22]

She can't make birdies, so she shoots for the middle of every green hoping to make par. She fired at exactly one flag

Yep.. she's shooting at the middle because she's hitting 4 irons while the guys are hitting 7's or 8's.

[Your Nightmare]

All she showed me today is that she could never compete on Tour. She can't make birdies, so she shoots for the middle of every green hoping to make par. She fired at exactly one flag (18) and made bogey. If she played that way consistently on Tour, she probably would make a few cuts before she starved to death.

And you were able to determine this after exactly one round? Her first round ever on the PGA?

[Bob J]

No one said her spot wasn't legitimate, the debate is whether she earned it like all the other "big boys" the media is so quick to point out that she can play with.

[You Dirty Rats]

The tough part for Annika and for most of the women is making birdies from the men's tees. Annika can make even the longest Par 4s in two (she did it today), but she is hitting longer irons than the men. That makes it harder to get close enough for birdie chances. Over the course of four days, that adds up to a lot fewer chances.

Making 15 pars was quite an achievement. Only one birdie is not going to get it done. I hope her putter is working better tomorrow and that she makes the cut.

Gutsy lady!

[1Old Pro]

It's true that she was playing for par: Hit fairways, hit middle of green, two putt.

[William McKinley]

Oh and by the way- if Bill Clinton met the other standards that go with the sponsor slots (such as a 2 handicap), then yes, the sponsors could very well invite him and I would not say he did not belong there.

And I would laugh my ass off as he got killed by everyone, and snicker that he has even a worse physique than Craig Stadler.

[Bob J]

If you're contention is that receiving a sponsor exemption is earning a spot, then there is no further need for debate. I disagree with the premise.

[kjam22]

Making 15 pars was quite an achievement. Only one birdie is not going to get it done

Yep.. her birdie was on a par 3.