JeffGollin

The answer to this issue is to let the LPGA have their women-only tournament, let the men have their own tournament and create a 3rd category of "dual-gender tournaments" where anyone who makes the cut gets to compete.

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"Game called on account of rain." - Al Barlick

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"EVERY "NEXT GAME" IS A "MUST GAME."
Later (GBR/RIP40)

CardNots

The PGA has no rules barring women or stating its a men's only association. What rules are being broken? Anika has every right.

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There should be an "Arizona Cardinal principal". A never ending unexplainable phenomenon of impossible scenarios and bumbling performances resulting in a sensation not unlike being kicked in the nuts several times a year.( Quote Rivercard )

Russ Smith

Auugh, I don't think anybody has said otherwise the claim is she's getting special treatment(note I'm not claiming that others are).

My whole objection is when this topic comes up inevitably someone says "why shouldn't women be allowed on the PGA tour, if they're good enough they should be allowed to play the PGA shouldn't discriminate against women." To which I answer, they don't , the rules say nothing about women on the tour, but ironically the LPGA DOES discriminate against men and none of the people complaining seem to think this is hypocritical.

If she's good enough to make the tour by all means go for it. I just don't like the side topic of discrimination that comes up. I'm watching local news last night and a black guy at a local driving range says "it's discrimination used to be no black folks, now it's no women." Ticks me off the discrimination against blacks was(and in some cases still IS) real, there is no discrimination against women so to lump them together like that actually trivializes the racial discrimination this guy was apparently mad about.

Anika said yesterday she believes she can win the tournament, I personally think it would be great.

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CardNots

Russ,
I hear you. Based on the people given exemptions in the past, I believe her 40+ plus wins on the LPGA makes her exemption justified. The discrimination issue was brought up in several other comments on this thread.

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There should be an "Arizona Cardinal principal". A never ending unexplainable phenomenon of impossible scenarios and bumbling performances resulting in a sensation not unlike being kicked in the nuts several times a year.( Quote Rivercard )

DCCardsFan

My two cents:

Her exemption was fine - the whole purpose of an exemption is to allow someone who couldn't or didn't qualify a chance. These people are generally high profile. The argument that she's taking someone's spot is petty and stupid. It is true that sometimes a sponsor's exemption will use it to get into the top 125 (David Gossett, for instance), but you can't complain because ONE spot was used up in a way that will increase the earnings on the entire tour because of the publicity (and Annika is certainly going to increase the size of the pie for the men by playing).

Lorrie Kane had it right - she said that IF Annika plays GREAT, she MIGHT make the cut. The cold reality is that she will probably miss the cut by 10-15 strokes. She may even come in dead last.
How is she going to handle the thick rough and 470 yard par fours with fast, hard, greens and tough pin positions that she NEVER sees on the ladies tour?

John Smoltz said that he played a round with Tiger and Annika - and BEAT Annika (he didn't say by how much). If John Smoltz can beat Annika in the only round he plays with her (and she has no pressure), how is she going to beat the real pros in a pressure situation? She ISN'T. She'll shoot 80+ in at least one of those rounds. The person who said she might withdraw with an injury might have it right.

It takes guts for her to play with the guys, and I respect her for that. But this will only show how much better the guys are.

I remember when people said that Mia Hamm should play for the US mens soccer team. That is hilarious, because the truth is that a good, quick, all-star high school player would dominate Mia Hamm or any other woman player. It isn't even the same game. Same in basketball, tennis, golf.

THe only sport women can compete with men in is pool. And they still aren't nearly as good.........

Northern Card

Letting her play play on the men's tour from time-to-time, makes a heck of alot more sense than the ongoing debate we have in this country about women playing professional hockey. Can you imagine?

azcardsfan1616

Did anyone watch when annika played with tiger at some match play event that was nationaly televised? She had a melt down, one of the worst golfing performances by a professional i have seen. You could tell then that she dosent deserve to play in the PGA. She cracked under the media and she will do it again at the colonial. She had her chance to prove she could play with the big boys and failed why try now? It pisses me off when a double stanard occurs and the people who create the double standard bitch. I saw someone forget who it was say vijay is scared? What a moronic statement. He has won 2 masters and is a top 5 golfer in the world. He will blow her away. She will not make the cut but it will be interesting to see who she will tee it off with on Thursday. Maybe her and vijay will be in the same group what a sight that would be.