Artermis

Anyone have any comments about this or about what Vijay and some of the other tour players have been saying.


Art

Prophecy

forgive the ignorance, but who is Annika???

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Serpent

Here is my thought, if they let women into the mens pga why don't they let men into the womens pga. Or even a better one, why don't the integrate the two.

paddyjoe

I don't think one tournament is gonna prove jack. She ought to have the balls to play the whole schedule, then see where she rates as a player.

maximusveritas

I think Vijay's comments were completely correct and the majority of players support them. He's taking heat for it, but it was the right thing to do. Players like Tiger don't know what it means to struggle just to make it to these tournaments so you can make a decent living. Annika is taking the spot of someone else who needs it a lot more than she does and who actually proved himself before making it on the tour.

This is nothing but a publicity stunt and it takes away something from the game. I'm fairly liberal and I'm all for equal rights for women, but this is something different altogether.

Artermis

It would be totally different if she actually went through the Q-school and she earned her way on to the tour. As stated this is more of business move for her than anything else.

I am a 2 handicap and I feel that if I got on the woman's tour I might not win all the time but I would place in the top 20 more than I would place out of it. Especially from their tee boxes. Man, driver and 8 iron to a marjority of par 5's, gotta love it.


Art

gov135

Couldn't agree with Artermis more. I know thats not how invitations work, but if she really wants to compete, she should qualify like everyone else.

I hope she misses the cut. Not cause I have any ill will towards her, but I don't want to see people comparing her to Billie Jean King or anyone else.

Kurant

I dunno what courses your watching the women play, but unless your Tiger Woods, Even womens Par 5's are 480-550. This last weekend, I was watching with my wife, shortest par 5 on the course was 505. 95% of the pros can't even go driver - 8 iron to that. Little "bending" of the club lenghts there. However, your comments are dead on the money. I'm a 4 handicap, I coulden't agree more.

She doesn't deserve to be there.

Keep in mind however, Amatuers also get these same invites, also not qualifying for the PGA through the Q school as well, so it's along the same lines. She'll soon find out how tough it is playing with the big boys.

Don't forget, if your a sports fan in general, you'll also know about Mr. Singh and the cheating and falsifying of a scorecard, banishing him from 2 different tours. He's also the 7th ranked player in the world. He doesn't know what it's like to struggle bad enough to get an exception invite, either.

gibber71

It irritates that there is always a women trying to cross over into mens sports. What is the deal? It's just like women wanting to play at Augusta. Start your own private club and don't allow men to play.If they are allowed to crossover,let's do it across the board. I want to see Lennox Lewis defend his title against Ali's daughter. Ding Ding...Round 1.

maximusveritas

The cheating incident you refer to has never been proven either way. It happened almost 20 years ago and he was banned only from the Asian tour because of it. He was banned from Australia because of unpaid loans and other financial problems.

While Singh may be one of the best in the world now, he wasn't always on top like Tiger. He struggled to make it here, working as a teaching pro in Borneo and playing tours on all 5 continents.

Either way, these personal attacks on him are unfair and uncalled for.

kidd

She's going to get completely smoked.

trent98

as long as its a one-off publicity stunt it seems ok to me, but if women plan to regularly play in tour events the lpga should be dissolved

Artermis

I might have gone a little overboard with driver-8 iron but on the 480 yard hole that is not out of the possibility depending on how the hole is set up.


Art

Kurant

No one made personal attacks on him. (?? wtf you talking about). I just mentioned a cheating incident with him. Proven or not, it did happen. He was banished. You draw your own conclusions. Quit assuming I'm "attacking" him. lolz.

Singh is right in everything he said. Annika is going to get killed out there with the men. Period. Only bad part is, she won't make it to Sunday so I can sit downon the couch and watch. =/

maximusveritas

If not to attack him, what was the purpose of mentioning the cheating incident? If you agree with him, I'm not sure why you brought it up.
The media has been bringing it up as well even though it has no bearing on this situation with Annika. I assume that's where you got the idea of bringing it up here. Usually, they mention it as a way of unfairly discrediting his opinion.

edmos1

I still go back to Mickelsons comments, he thinks she will finish around 20 and he hopes he finishes better than 19. Any male pro should come with thier "A" game, beaten by a woman on your own tour would be an embarrassment. That being said, she dominant over the other LPGA members.

Arock

I haven't really given this a lot of thought so forgive my being naive if that's the case. So far I've come up with a few thoughts...

This is an invitational so I don't really think she's taking a spot from someone. They invite all kinds of people to these, and not neccessarily only the deserving.
Vijay is getting grilled for saying what he said based on how he feels and it's a shame. You don't make the tour for being tactful and politically correct- so you certainly don't get kicked off for being outspoken- even if you come off as a prick. Maybe he loses sponsors, but that's his problem. I say cut him some slack. Besides, he recanted like a wuss anyway.
Lastly, I don't think Annika came into this as a publicity stunt or any other shady reason. I honestly think she wants to test herself against the boys. I liken it (at least by a fraction) to Jordan taking on baseball. She wants the test. I say good for her if she gets the invite.

I do sorta hope she doesn't make the cut so this doesn't get out of control. But at the same time- it would be really cool to see her do well. I just don't want her to win because I don't want to see the Martha Burkes of the world come out and demand a spot on the PGA.

that's my ramble anyway

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The_Dude

i'm all for equal rights, vijay is being an asshole

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billclinton

I can emotionally argue both sides......
PGA golf first and foremost is entertainment...without the E value there would be no $1,000,000 payout for the Wachovia (what the hell is a Wachovia?). There is more entertainment value due to Annika than the salad days of Tiger and all of the PGA goobers like Davis Love and Fred Funk and whoever the hell else.........IF A WOMAN CAN PLAY IN A MANS LEAGUE A MAN SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY IN A WOMANS LEAGUE, DAMMIT!!!!!! I WOULD BE ONE HELLUVA POWER FORWARD IN THE WNBA......THERES NOT A DOUBT IN MY FEEBLE MIND THAT I WOULD LEAD THE WNBA IN SCORING, REBOUNDING, BLOCKED SHOTS, ETC. AND I'M OLD AND OVERWEIGHT........SHEEEEESH

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Kurant

Bill Clinton > All.

dragon2fire

lol kurant

ok frist off last i checked the guys get paid way more then the women and get way more coverage of there games

so what a woman wants the money that the guys are earning i say let her try

the worse that happens is she embarrasses her self and never plays with the guys again

or maybe the worse that happens is she wins


is that what so many of you closed minded people fear

she proves that maybe a woman can compet in golf with the guys and it snowballs

next thing you know maybe women what the guy to cook dinner

or maybe the woman wants to drive the car

that would be so very bad would not it

Artermis

If she were to win....say goodbye to the LPGA, as we know it. What happens to the 100's of woman who lose jobs because they cannot compete on the PGA. Most of them hit the ball 200-230 and would have no chance to compete with the men.

While the LPGA might stay around...they would lose even more sponsors and would make playing the LPGA lower than the "men's" future league.

It is not like the woman do not have their own. Like someone else stated that I read on this that it is not like in high school were there are no woman's football or wrestling teams and they either play with the boys or not at all. She has her own tour and if she wants to see how she would do against the men...well than play some more exhibitions straight up from their tees and not as partners but without and see how she does that should give her a feel if she can compete.

What is to stop a few guys from deciding to challenge to play on their tour? This would be so grand for their sport also. You would have people like me a 0-5 handicap thinking we can go compete with the woman. It is not like I would give two shits what people think. If I can win a couple of tournaments or even just finish in the top 10 in a handful of events, I will make more than what I am making now doing something that would be awesome and the more money I won....I could get rid of my day job and put all my time towards golf and who is to say I could not move to the men's tour. There are just so many problems with this but you would probably be closed minded to this like I am to a woman playing on the PGA.

I already cook almost every night and my wife already drives when she wants so spare me how we are all men who are living in the 50's and want the woman in the kitchen and just pushing out babies because it just shows who the real close minded person is.


Art

smarm

How often do Q school players get sponsor exemptions? If the answer is not often, she isn't really taking a spot away from a guy who is "just trying to make a living." The sponsor is increasing the value of their investment because the number people who will watch this thing is going to be much greater.

I'm not really a golf fan... so this purity of the game stuff kinda washes over me, but I am going to pay some attention to this tourney because the story is pretty interesting.

Plus watching how terrified all these golfers are that they are going to be beat by a woman is just beautiful to watch.

Hard8s

The key to this is she is playing on a sponsor's exemption. Every tourney the sponsor gets 8 spots to put whomever they wish to play in the tourney. They can ask Bill Clinton, Bill Murray, the President of their company, even Annika Sorenstam to play if they want. It is their choice who plays. Just because its the PGA does not make it a mans tour. The PGA stands for Professional Golfers Assoication. As far as I can tell, Annika is a Professional Golfer. Kind of fits with the PGA doesn't it. Personally I don't mind woman playing in any sport as long as they play at the same level as the rest of the field. I've played hockey with a couple of women who have just smoked....Made me reconsider the level I was playing at. (Found out they were on the US womens Olympic team later, but thats besides the point.)
If she can keep up, let her play. It'll motivate both sexes to do better. The men will not want to be beaten by a girl, and the women will look to her as inspiration. I do not think she is going to win, but I hope she'll be in the top ten. Don't get me wrong, she can play golf as evidenced by her record and the 59 she shot. How many men can say that. Not me. But I don't think she has the length to win on the lengthened PGA Tour courses. This has a lot to do with Tiger who keeps pushing the courses to make them longer or harder. But even Tiger is a supporter of Annika.

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Kurant

Tiger is a supporter of Annaki because he's afraid of the media frenzy and grilling that Vijay got.

Dragon2fire, It's not about the money. It's about CAN she. Women are not physically strong enough to play on 7100 yard courses. Where every male is hitting a driver - 8 iron to a 450 yard hole, Annaki is hitting a driver - 4 iron. Maybe a 3 iron if she can't go all out on the drive. She can't compete hitting 3 irons and 4 irons all day. They are much less forgiving, give you very little spin to stick a ball. It would be neat to see a woman compete, and do it well. If she wanted money, the mens tour isn't the place to try and get it. She woulden't even come close.

She didn't earn anything. She got to play, cause of who she was. She's not an old timer, who got invited for everyone to see play, she's not a q schooler, or an amateur who earned the spot through qualifying. She got invited because she's Annaki. I don't honestly care either way, I don't play out there. But, I just hope she doesn't look like a fool out there going 10 over and getting cut.

But who knows, maybe she hits a 4 iron the same as Tiger and Phil hit 8 irons.

I wish her luck though, maybe she'll make some noise, I can turn the TV on Sunday, and she'll be up the leaderboard, but I"m not holding my breath for it.

KeyserSoze

Personally I agree whit most of you here in the fact that she should have to QUALIFY. I also feel that the men should now raid the LPGA, after a couple of wins by the men and all that cash leaving the ladies pockets they will change their tune.

I also think this is a stunt being pulled by the PGA and LPGA to get more ratings since their ratings have slacked off since the Tiger has been in awhile and the sponsors are pulling back some of their cash.

BOTTOM LINE................all this politically correct bullshit is going WAY TO FUCKING FAR!!

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guthmund

It's a publicity stunt; plain and simple.

If she wants to increase the audience for the LPGA, a comment I've heard, this isn't going to do it. If she doesn't do well, and by all accounts she might not, it's going hurt the woman's league.

If she's looking to compete against men. Fine all for it. Have a tournament at the end of the year; invite the best mens and womens golfers and have at it. Imagine the ratings.

Women's sports exist for a reason. They allow all women a chance to compete in a sport they love. We know there are physical inequalities among the sexes (they make up for it in brains ) so let's stop being so damn politically incorrect. Just because the smallest percentage of women can play on the men's level doesn't mean they should. If you allow it you only open a big ass can of worms; why don't we let the men play in the women's division? etc....

I understand Mr Singh's comments on Sorensen, I only wish he had the fortitude to put his skill to replace the backbone he apparently lost when he pulled out of The Colonial

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sixate

I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with billclinton.
She needs to stay in the LPGA. I want my chance to play and make some cash in the WNBA. Then me and billclinton would rule that league together.

I don't see this as equal rights cause there's no way in hell they'd let a guy go play in the LPGA cause he would win every tournament and make as assload of cash. It's complete bullshit.

Minx

I can't help but wonder a little if you are all just afraid that she will do well and show that a woman can play in a man's sport (not all of them - that's not what I'm saying).
Obviously if she is playing with these other great golfers she deserved to be there. If she can't play up to the standards, well then who did it hurt? As far as letting men play in the LPGA....has anyone ever asked to? I would guess no. Would they be allowed to play? Most likely.
Just my two cents.

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Minx

AND what would Vijay have to say if they decided to allow only Caucasians in? hmmmmm gee I wonder.

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dragon2fire

thank you minx

as has been said before

what does it hurt to let her try

Minx

A little Annika update here.....first nine holes and she's one under par....not bad for a girl. AND on the opening hole she outdrove her partners....again not bad for a girl who some think isn't good enough to play with the boys.

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bender

A women golfer tends to have a more tech. sound swing then guys do as a guy will be able to use his strength more.
She'll do fine and a longer course plays more to her then a short one would.
I hope that she makes the cut, and hell puts a little green in her
pocket.

Leander

Annika posted a 1 over 71 today, and is tied for 37th. This was not and is not about the publicity. She wanted to test her game against the best competitors in the world regardless of gender. There is nothing wrong with that. She is perhaps the best female golfer of her generation and wants to challenge herself and her game. Why is it that when Roy Jones Jr. kept moving up in weight classes in boxing to challenge himself and prove that he was the best boxer in the world, nobody said it was a publicity stunt?
Just let her play, and respect the fact that she is willing to try and fail according to her own skills.

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