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)

[cschroe]

I was not aware that she had a men's handicap. Could you please tell us what it is?

Handicaps are gender neutral. Based solely on score and course rating/slope for tees played in each round.

[You Dirty Rats]

Annika tied with Lee Janzen. I guess Annika can't do any better than Lee. I mean, he's only won the US Open twice.

Steve Elkington finished with a 72. I guess these golf geniuses think he can't play on the Tour either.

All I have to say to the haters is this: My advice to you is to stay out of Home Depot and Lowes; someone might think you are just another power tool and dump you in their cart.

[TennTuxedo]

During most mens tournaments, the golfing analysts talk about maintianing one's poise and not showing emotion. However, during Sorestam's round, they kept on complimenting her for showing emotion and how she was playing great. Playing in a weaker than normal field on a short track and being tied for 75th is great?

Annika could have played better but she had David Feherty's nose up her rear-end all round long. Its kind of hard to play with so many analysts sticking their noses up your butt.

[William McKinley]

I never said she had a men's handicap.

Earlier someone said that the Sponsor Exemptions have to meet some criteria, saying he thought it is a 2 handicap. I have no knowledge as to what it is.

My point is that the rules were not changed to allow her to play. Existing rules allowed her to get a sponsor exemption. To me, that means she is there by merit. It may not be the same merit as those who played in by qualifying, but it is a legitimate merit as defined in the PGA rules (namely, having some sort of appeal that a sponsor wanted to use an exemption on).

[presidio9]

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

Absolutely. That's why I said "All she showed me today." She might go out tomorrow and show me something completely different. And then I would have to rethink my judgement on her. But making projections based on how I'd like the world to be is not a wise process.

Like inviting a player who can't hit the ball very far and has a substandard short game merely on the basis of sex.

[1Old Pro]

All she showed me today is that she could never compete on Tour.

Hitting par doesn't win many PGA tour events. Maybe the U.S. Open and Annika wouldn't break 80 there.

[presidio9]

She did not meet the criteria for a sponsor's exemption. She has never won a penny on any men's tour, and she does not have a men's handicap.

[Bob J]

The debate isn't over exemptions, it's whether Annika earned her way into the tournament. If you look at my previous comments you'll see I stated that I like AS and am glad to see her playing this weekend, makes for a good show on an otherwise dull lackluster event.

I will make one caveat to that. When she first joined the AMERICAN LPGA, she made some statements criticizing the US vis a vis the difference between our system and the socialist Swedish system. Her handlers quickly shut her up and she hasn't made that mistake again. In other words, she'll take the money our system offers but in no way does it compare to wonderful Swedish model, which offers little if no money for women golfers.

Annika likes having her cake and eating it too.

[over3Owithabrain]

Actually, some folks here DID say women are just as good athletes as men, everything else being equal. I responded to 2 comments on FR since this story broke:

1) A poster said Sorenstam would routinely beat MOST of the PGA tour men - I objected, and by the way, I did it to them directly, not piling on third-party;

2) The poster on this thread, who after 5 good holes, called my scrotum into question for merely pointing out the course was short and the longer ones would pose a much more difficult problem.

I have never once insulted Anaka or women in general, hell, I don't care about her playing here and she did fine today. But let's not live in a dreamworld.

[Bob J]

The greens will firm up in the afternoon and may help some of those short putts drop. Expect to see lower scores coming in.

[kevkrom]

As I said in my #174:

(Hopefully) Before anyone says something stupid, let me point out that handicap index is calculated exactly the same for men and women and accounts for the length (course rating) and relative difficulty (course slope) of the courses where the scores where calculated. A woman's 2 handicap is exactly the same as a man's 2 handicap.

[cschroe]

and she does not have a men's handicap

Define for me what a "men's handicap" is. In relation to golf, that is. My wife would say my "men's handicap" is that I think with my third leg instead of my brain. ;^)

[Your Nightmare]

You said "All she showed me today is that she could never compete on Tour." I was pointing out that that is a lot to determine from just one round.

[presidio9]

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

[William McKinley]

Can you point out which criteria for one of the sponsor's unrestricted exemptions she did not meet?

[NittanyLion]

Yep... No biggie... just start rollin' em' in from 25.

*grin*

Heck, if I could do that regularly I'd be on tour.

[presidio9]

OK, so what did she show you today?

[cschroe]

It was only a matter of time.

[Bob J]

When someone talks of competing, I think they mean consistently finishing in the top 10-15 with a win here and there.

Competitive means threatening to lead and win, not missing cuts.

[Ready4Freddy]

"She did not meet the criteria for a sponsor's exemption."

Nonsense. There are no set criteria for a sponsor's exemption, and there is no such thing as a 'men's handicap'.