12/03/24
February 12, 2003
Sorenstam in the Colonial?:
Sounds good to me. I'd prefer her over the woman who will play the Greater Hartford by qualifying on the shorter women's tees.
In light of our discussion about the UConn women playing male teams, this is a timely post. Is golf a sport where an outstanding female athelete can compete on even footing with an outstanding male athelete? From the article: "Sorenstam's main stipulation about playing against men has been to compete on a course that does not require power off the tee. Colonial is 7,080 yards (par 70) and puts a premium on accuracy." Isn't golf about power and accuracy? Anyhow, good story and I look forward to watching the Greater Hartford open for once.
posted by Joey Michaels at 01:06 PM on February 12, 2003
Joey, a good discussion here.
posted by vito90 at 03:01 PM on February 12, 2003
Good for her. I may actually keep an eye on golf for the first time in years. One of the two PGA events that I've attended was the opening round of the Colonial in 2001. My girlfriend's dad was in the country, and he's a huge golf nut so he drug us around the course. I almost got hit by a David Duval drive. Man, that guy is really short. I'm pretty sure I could take him ;). The Colonial did seem pretty short to me though (in my non-golf-knowing opinion) so this is probably a pretty good choice for her. Any word on if Tiger is going to play the Colonial this year? It's traditionally one of the tourneys he skips to go play in Europe.
posted by Ufez Jones at 03:10 PM on February 12, 2003
By the way...since they've updated the picture, I better explain my earlier comment...Yahoo was running a picture of Kordell Stewart alongside the story.
posted by vito90 at 03:18 PM on February 12, 2003
I still don't like this. This sets up a one-way street, not equity. Let's just remember all this when the first Q-school dropout sues to play on the women's tour. It's all fun and games until someone uses it as a precedent.
posted by wfrazerjr at 03:48 PM on February 12, 2003
The LPGA specifically states that it's for ladies only. The PGA takes a non-discrimatory stance and only says it wil take "the best players in the world". It's pretty cut and dry that a woman should be allowed to play in the PGA but not a man on the LPGA. Next thing you know people will want Augusta to admit a woman!
posted by corpse at 05:28 PM on February 12, 2003
LPGA Commissioner's official statement on Sorenstam playing at the Colonial: "This is cool ... Annika is great ... special ... break barriers ... but ... heh heh ... don't forget to come back and play with us women, ok?"
posted by worldcup2002 at 05:29 PM on February 12, 2003
Sorenstam has...guts. Her performance in the Colonial will set the tenor of this discussion for at least the next half dozen years. Fail to make the cut and you've got the best female golfer, maybe ever, unable to swing with the men. Don't even talk to me about how close women are to men in this sport; End of topic. Survive moving day, but finish way off the money - well, that's kind of what we expect isn't it? No changes. A top ten finish? Then we move the whole discourse to one of, 'How would she do in a men's major?' Annika, I'm ready to go there, I hope you hold up your end of the deal...
posted by kloeprich at 07:42 PM on February 12, 2003
Kloeprich - I agree, well put. The beauty of golf is that on any given day if things are going well you can just shoot the lights out. Even us duffers, every once in a while, will hit a shot as sweet and pure as any pro. So she gets one tournament to break her cherry. If her game is on, really on, she makes the cut or hits the leader board. If her game is off, you're right, the whole debate is set back for a decade despite the fact that a shitty performance in this tournament is not a predictor of her future performance necessarily. And just imagine the gallery and press that will follow her round! It will be Tiger+Casey Martin+Arnie+the Golden Bear in magnitude. Pressure is on, whether she says so or not. I already feel bad for the other golfers that draw her in the same opening round threesome.
posted by vito90 at 08:09 PM on February 12, 2003
vito90: "break her cherry," "threesome"... I didn't know golf could be so sexy!
posted by worldcup2002 at 11:04 PM on February 12, 2003
Mmmmm ... Laura Davies ... now THAT'S sexy!
posted by wfrazerjr at 11:28 AM on February 13, 2003
As a friend likes to say, "She's a size WOW!" (Altho, I don't think that's exactly what he meant.)
posted by worldcup2002 at 11:55 AM on February 13, 2003
Good SF Chronicle article on Sorenstam today. Lotsa nuggets. Guess she wasn't the first to do this - Babe Didrikson Zaharias played the LA Open in 1945. Sorenstam's driving distance (265.6 yards avg) is 4th on the LPGA, 196th on the PGA. However, her 2002 record of hitting the greens (79.7%) tops even Woods's PGA leading 74.0. Some classic lines from Sorenstam's competitors at the event, including Mickelson:
Mickelson said: "It's not like she's a slouch. She's one of the best ballstrikers in the game today. . . . I think she will definitely make the cut. I think she'll finish around 20th, would be my guess." And where will Mickelson finish, if he plays the event? "I hope 19th or better," he said with a laugh.Others were less charitable. Vijay Singh: "I don't think she can beat me." Fellow Swede Jesper Parnevik: "I'd be impressed if she made one cut."
posted by worldcup2002 at 12:10 PM on February 13, 2003
When did Sorenstam get soooo ugly? And black? Seriously though - this will be a huge boon for the Colonial's ratings on the weekend if she makes the cut. Good luck to her.