Too Much To Dream

All the more reason why the discussion is so stupid. Women can't hit the ball as hard (or as far)--that is understandable. But PUTTING? Standing OVER a ball and hitting it 20 feet? They aren't as good at THAT? Same with billiards. Why can't women compete equally in billiards? It's embarassing.

Makes me crazy.

I never watch golf, but I watched this. I found it very entertaining. Annika was charming and gracious. Ultimately, sports stars are entertainers, and she was that. The bottom line: she was a "class act." Andrew Sullivan summarizes it very well. Scroll up to "THE SECRET OF ANNIKA'S POPULARITY:"
http://www.andrewsullivan.com/index.php?dish_inc=archives/2003_05_25_dish_archive.html#200343078

The matter is made ludicrous by the contradictions of its most vocal participants.

If merit alone should be the consideration -- a hard point to contest -- then why not admit male golfers to the LPGA? Of course, no male golfer has asked for admission, but the mere suggestion has raised the hackles of feminist activists. Oh, no! That's a "protected space," set aside for women to feel safe in. That men should be conceded the same privilege -- i.e., the right to set up a space reserved for men only -- is not a proposition they care to confront.

The short form of their position: "What's mine is mine. What's yours is negotiable." It's doing a real number on the debate over the sexes.

Actually, there is a sport at which the natural differences between typical men and typical women should make NO difference whatsoever in performance, and that's shooting.

And women are better at it.

only men can play it "as it was meant to be played"

Aww, c'mon - I'm sure the ladies can do their part to ensure ball manufacturers will stay in business by hitting thousands of them anywhere but the course, and that designers of really bad clothes and shoes have a market, and of course, lets not forget the club makers - thats why there are trees on the course - to wrap the clubs around.

I'm at a loss why more women aren't absolutely enthralled with the idea of dressing up horridly, spending the afternoon with friends in a barely masked competition or brownnose session, and making fun of each other while drinking beer and acting like total bufoons themselves.

I say open up the courses!

If Annika's short game had been a bit more on, she'd have made the cut...it isn't all about the biggest driver, or the biggest drive. Every time I seemed to catch a few minutes of the coverage, she was not draining a putt. And she probably flubbed more of those than her total extra shots for any lack of range capability on the fairway.

I think there is a market out there for completely wide open competition. But no, that isn't going to get me to watch more golf on TV, nor is it going to get me out there to launch more little balls into plate glass windows, either.

I think the most egregious point is that she got in to the tournament on a sponsor's exception. She would not have been able to play, because she had not met the requirements that other men (one who DID jump through all the hoops, was denied entry into the tournament because of the seat she took) without that exemption. She was not good enough to get in on merit and talent.

It was a farse.

*exemption not execption.

In the tournament, Annika came up third in the long game and nearly last in putting. Admittedly, Tiger and a couple of other top golfers were absent, but those guys just would have moved her a couple of places down in the long game.

Good grief. It's golf, not powerlifting. If a skinny guy like Tiger Woods can hit the ball three hundred yards, the idea that you have to be big to hit long goes right out the window.

I believe the sponsor's exemption is always set aside for the sponsor's use as they see fit. It isn't as if the sponsor booted a qualifier to use it, though the spot might have defaulted to a qualifier if the sponsor decided it didn't have anyone in mind to invite. In any case, I personally see it as a non-issue.

There's a mental side to every game. I don't find it absurd on its face that some games are more suited to men's ways of thinking than to women's. Chess has been open to women for decades and is still male-dominated. Sure there's a lot of machismo in the top chess players, but how does that keep women out? Let's just be glad we haven't seen a female Bobby Fischer - yet.

One male golfer, Brian Kontak sued to be allowed to play in one LPGA tour event (the Womens US Open no less).
(http://www.mtulode.com/viewarticle.php?ArticleID=2047)

The difference between the two tours is while the PGA does not have any rules based on gender the LPGA does. Sexiest? Not really. The PGA is for the best golfers in the world while the LPGA is for the best female golfers. If a woman feels that she wants to try her skills playing with the PGA none of the rules prevent her from playing. Remember, in most cases she is playing against the Golf Course, not the men.

The thing that I find amusing is that, if you watch a golf tournament all the way through, you will see that the winner is, consistently, they person who fucks up the least.

Strength helps, accuracy helps, but everyone in the game is strong and accurate or they wouldn't be there in the first place.

Fuckups lose. Annika fucked up her short game, the one where strength doesn't matter. A pity, really, I hoped she'd knock thier socks off.

Guys. I don't give a shit if this Annika person "fucked up" or whatever. Read my post to get my point: golf is not a he-man game that needs Hulk-like strength and "men's way of thinking" (whatever the hell that is supposed to be), and saying women can't play it based on those criteria is stupid.

And Robert: the reason women don't play chess is it's fucking boring. Hah hah! Actually, I have known a lot of women who played chess. I used to play chess.

Male way of thinking my ass. Machismo where board games are concerned is even more hilarious. The reason women "don't play chess" is because traditionally women have been in the kitchen making dinner while poppa plays chess (or poker, or whatever) with his cronies. Nothing wrong with that, it's just that's the way things have been, and like many other male pastimes it has developed into a professional sport.

Okay, reality check, people. This woman is not the feminist Great White Golf Hope.
First off, she got in because of PC activism.
And she bombed out in the bottom 15 percent.

You know, if more of these "they're gonna let me in because I'm a WOMAN" types actually succeeded once in a while it would be a whole 'nother matter. But again and again we hear about these women charging in and then falling flat on their faces because, surprise surprise, they were unable to hack it after all.

See, unlike in the crappy TV sitcoms, it takes a little more than righteous indignation to be successful at something.

Jesus Christ, I'm closing this comment section because obviously no one can keep on message for more than a few posts. The point of my post was to make fun of the idea that golf was some sort of macho he-man only sport, not to get into an argument over feminists and girls in sport in general, because I DON'T FUCKING CARE. I HATE SPORTS.