More Women On The PGA Tour
Can we just go ahead and get rid of women's sports? First a woman qualifies for a PGA Tour event - from a different set of tees than the rest of the competitors, and now Annika Sorenstam wants to play an event on the PGA Tour. She's easily the best female player in the world, but her skills don't translate well onto the men's tour.
I followed her around for two days at the US Womens Open this past summer and saw up close what kind of ability she has. Undoubtedly, she (and all the top women players) were better than I expected - but that doesn't mean they have a shred of hope playing against men on difficult golf courses.
Now there is the issue of where and when Sorenstam would play a PGA Tour event. She said it would have to be the right situation, the right course, preferably one that is short and tight, where driving distance would not be the ultimate factor.
The venue won't matter much - short and tight for the men is still longer than anything the women get near. Plus the greens will be faster and harder than she's used to, and the rough will be 1-2 inches deeper. She'd struggle to stay close to even par - especially if the weather acts up at all. Has everybody forgotton how poorly she & Karie Webb played in the teams event with Tiger Woods last year? It was a complete fiasco.
Sorenstam's presence in a PGA Tour event would be big news, front-page news. It would be a boost for the LPGA Tour. A Sorenstam appearance in a PGA Tour event would be great for the game, great for the LPGA Tour.
I struggle to see this as valid. If she wants to play - thats just fine, but don't go making it into some social cause for women's sports - because it will not have a positive impact on them. Best case scenerio - she wins the tournament and the $750k or so that goes with it. Do you think she'd happily head on back to the LPGA to play for $150k winner's checks every week? Hell no, she'd stay up with the men - probably attracting a few more of the top female players to follow her - and the LPGA would go from the 2nd rate tour that it is now, to utter irrelevance.
Worst case scenerio - she shoots 76-80 and misses the cut by a dozen strokes. With the LPGA already suffering from a lack of respect for player's abilities, I hardly see how a conclusive confirmation of what everyone already believes to be a positive thing for women's golf.
Middle case scenerio - she barely makes the cut and finishes T54. Again, if after handpicking a tournament and course, the best she can do is hang around with the PGA Tour also-rans - the lack of ability label will just be that much more stuck to the LPGA players.
I followed her around for two days at the US Womens Open this past summer and saw up close what kind of ability she has. Undoubtedly, she (and all the top women players) were better than I expected - but that doesn't mean they have a shred of hope playing against men on difficult golf courses.
Now there is the issue of where and when Sorenstam would play a PGA Tour event. She said it would have to be the right situation, the right course, preferably one that is short and tight, where driving distance would not be the ultimate factor.
The venue won't matter much - short and tight for the men is still longer than anything the women get near. Plus the greens will be faster and harder than she's used to, and the rough will be 1-2 inches deeper. She'd struggle to stay close to even par - especially if the weather acts up at all. Has everybody forgotton how poorly she & Karie Webb played in the teams event with Tiger Woods last year? It was a complete fiasco.
Sorenstam's presence in a PGA Tour event would be big news, front-page news. It would be a boost for the LPGA Tour. A Sorenstam appearance in a PGA Tour event would be great for the game, great for the LPGA Tour.
I struggle to see this as valid. If she wants to play - thats just fine, but don't go making it into some social cause for women's sports - because it will not have a positive impact on them. Best case scenerio - she wins the tournament and the $750k or so that goes with it. Do you think she'd happily head on back to the LPGA to play for $150k winner's checks every week? Hell no, she'd stay up with the men - probably attracting a few more of the top female players to follow her - and the LPGA would go from the 2nd rate tour that it is now, to utter irrelevance.
Worst case scenerio - she shoots 76-80 and misses the cut by a dozen strokes. With the LPGA already suffering from a lack of respect for player's abilities, I hardly see how a conclusive confirmation of what everyone already believes to be a positive thing for women's golf.
Middle case scenerio - she barely makes the cut and finishes T54. Again, if after handpicking a tournament and course, the best she can do is hang around with the PGA Tour also-rans - the lack of ability label will just be that much more stuck to the LPGA players.
# | January 27, 2003