posted Nov 29, 2006

As a relatively competent woman golfer I have played against men before and won (occasionally) - BUT - I play off the red tees that my handicap is based on and the men play off their white championship tees, I also get extra shots if the standard scratch differs between the 2 tees.
I accept (albeit reluctantly) that I can't hit the ball as far as a man can and therefore could not compete against them off their tees.
I don't want to see women struggle in opens to make the cut - and I think this would be the case for the vast majority of women players today - it makes the whole idea farcical and pointless. Of course if a lady golfer qualified and won - well that would probably make my millenium!
Michelle Wie needs to prove herself on the women's circuit before she even thinks about taking part in the men's competitions. Her sponsors need to back off and let her do this before she becomes so disheartened and we lose a potentially world class player before she is out of her teens.

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posted Nov 29, 2006

Women should hve the right to compete for any golfing competition from club championship to open championship. No special exemptions and no favours. If they're good enough they're good enough. Period.

Michelle Wie should go to school and when she's done go to the LPGA tour. If she does anything close to what Annika Sorenstam has then that will be a fine career. And if the PGA comes a'callin' she should say "no thanks, I'll try to qualify myself I don't need special invites."

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posted Nov 29, 2006

I think that female golfers should only be eligable to play in The Open if they are good enough. And not just good enough over two qualifying rounds, good enough to play and earn a living on a male tour.

The top female golfers can earn a very good living being at the top of their respective tours whereas a 'journeyman' male pro may hit better averages on longer courses and earn nowhere near as much as some female golfers.

The journeyman male pro will not have as good a support network leading up to an Open Championship than some of the top female pros, support such as sponsorship, disposable income to pay expenses such as a caddy, travel and accommodation and coaching.

I think it would be unfair for female golfers to dip in and out of their respective ladies tours to compete in male events, a female golfer has to make the full time change so that competition is fair

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posted Nov 29, 2006

I think if you go and look at some of the high scores that have being scored in the open in the last 5 years,80s and even 90s,then you would think sorenstam would not let herslf our her tour down.

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posted Nov 29, 2006

Can a man who struggles on the PGA Tour compete in a Ladies event? I don't think so, and I hope he never gets the chance.
The 'women in men's events' farce will soon disappear and I hope more attention will be paid to the women's game for its own merits.

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posted Nov 30, 2006

The standard of women's golf is now so high and many women hit the ball a long way AND have every shot in the book.

In terms of winning, Annika Sorenstam has an even better record than Tiger and some might call her the world's best player although it MUST be Tiger Woods.

There IS a precedent for the above. When the immortal Bobby Jones-the world's best player -AS AN AMATEUR!-in the late 1920s and very early 30s played with Joyce Wethered,the great British champion he remarked to the press that SHE was the finest golfer he had ever seen or played with!

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posted Nov 30, 2006

Good day Boa. Is this your first forray here, or are you now an instant regular? I must admit to feeling a twinge of sadness when old board expired at 12.02pm. Still, life goes on.

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posted Nov 30, 2006

Joyce Wethered, she played at tiverton, is that correct?
Do you recon jones was just being nice, or controversial?
i,m sure she was good, but compete in the open, we shall never know!

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posted Dec 1, 2006

I think you are being a bit harsh on our fairer golfers. There was no need for Justin Rose to have proved his ability to make a living on the men's tour before he could qualify for the 1998 Open. Indeed subsequent performances would suggest that at that stage in hs development (clearly not now!) he could not do so.

He qualifed from final qualifying, making it to that stage i know not how. The point is that anyone making it to final qualifying, by regional qualifying or exemption, can shoot a good score and thus be eligible for a tee-time at the championship proper.

In my view, if women feel able to enter, and then can shoot the scores, then why not?

As for the "no men in the womens open" argument - well you dont see Man Utd entering the Manchester and District Cup or whatever, but a team from that level of league can enter and compete in the FA cup. The same applies in golf - the ladies tour is, in absolute terms, weaker than the mens, but that should not preclude women trying to play "with the big boys"

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posted Dec 1, 2006

I agree, ror example its only fair to let juniors pkay in mens events, but an adult in a junior event? its the same principle.
If a woman is good enough and qualifies through the same channels, not ladies tour exemptions, then as churchill said "let there be women!"

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