http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2205481 SOTOGRANDE, Spain -- French golfer Jean Van de Velde will attempt to enter next year's Women's British Open because he is upset women may qualify for the 2006 British Open. "I'll even wear a kilt and shave my legs," said Van de Velde, who six years ago botched a chance for a British Open title in one of the great collapses in a major. "My whole point is where do we draw the line?" Van de Velde asked after shooting a 7-over-par 78 Thursday in the first round of the Volvo Masters. "If we accept that women can enter our tournaments, then it applies that men can play with women." The 39-year-old Frenchman said he would get an application and attempt to qualify. Next year's Women's British Open is Aug. 3-6 at Royal Lytham. The event is run by the Ladies' Golf Union, which established a gender policy this year that says: "It shall be a condition of any competition organized by the Ladies' Golf Union that players must be of the female gender." Andy Salmon, chief executive officer of the LGU, said Thursday there was no plan to change the rule. The LGU this season established a formal gender policy sanctioning players who had sex-change operations to become females. The best known example was Danish-born Australian Mianne Bagger, who played some LGU events in 2005. "I just don't understand it, and if my application is not accepted I will definitely get advice and see how far it will go," Van de Velde said. "I am making a point. I'm not trying to take a sexist stance." "I think there are much more important matters," he added. "I think our governing body should concentrate on the long putter, checking clubs. Things like that, not this." Former Ryder Cup player Barry Lane suggested a change in the rules could end women's golf. "Do they want 100 men trying to qualify?" he asked. "If they do there won't be any spots left for them." At the 1999 British Open, Van de Velde led by three strokes going to the 72nd hole, then wound up losing the tournament in a playoff.
PGA is a league for the best players, not best male players. I wouldn't mind watching females play in the PGA if they can qualify.
hmm. Let's say the two leagues can each allow 120 golfers to play. Men are mot allowed to play in the women's, so the women have 120 golfers in their tournament. But since we now allow women in the men's, lets say 10% of the bottom men are now displaced by top women. So you now have 132 women playing, 108 men, and the other men who are better than all but 12 of the women are SOL?
Wouldn't even have to be unless women are explicitly prohibited; they could get sponsor's exemptions.
a Frenchman wants to play on the women's tour. Good, it's about time he started playing with his peers again.
I really don't mind women playing in the PGA, but I would love to see Van de Velde play and win. Great publicity.
I don't understand what is so hard grasp about this concept: PGA Tour = The best golfers (of any sex) that can qualify. LPGA Tour = The best golfers with a two x chromosomes that can qualify (no males or transgenders that had the advantage of developing their muscle mass with testosterone) Sure we handicap it down for women. It gives them a venue in which they can compete. It's not the best golf in the world but hey, it sells on it's own and they don't make near the same money. If Van de Velde and others are embarrassed that a 15 year old girl can blow it past them they need to work harder. If they think somehow golf is better served by some noncompetitve no name getting the 170 th spot in a tournanment rather than someone who can help sell out the tickets they need to go back to Business 101. And if that brain dead Frog would have just hit about a half assed tee shot instead of the greatest all time choke job in the 1999 Open he would have had a 10 year tour exemption and wouldn't be stuffing his package between his legs to try to play someone he could beat.
I don't understand what is so hard grasp about this concept: PGA Tour = The best professional golfers (of any sex) that can qualify. LPGA Tour = The best golfers with a two x chromosomes that can qualify (no males or transgenders that had the advantage of developing their muscle mass with testosterone) Sure we handicap it down for women. It gives them a venue in which they can compete. It's not the best golf in the world but hey, it sells on it's own and they don't make near the same money. If Van de Velde and others are embarrassed that a 15 year old girl can blow it past them they need to work harder. If they think somehow golf is better served by some noncompetitve no name getting the 170 th spot in a tournanment rather than someone who can help sell out the tickets they need to go back to Business 101. And if that brain dead Frog would have just hit about a half assed tee shot instead of the greatest all time choke job in the 1999 Open he would have had a 10 year tour exemption and wouldn't be stuffing his package between his legs to try to play someone he could beat.
I think it's pretty funny, if the guy wants to embarass himself in front of everyone by playing women, then go for it. Who knows maybe he will go play there and still lose,might learn that he just sucks, and needs to work harder
