SPORTS NEWS
Februaruy 13, 2003
A Gutsy Golfer
Annika Sorenstam will be the first female golfer to compete in a men's PGA event in 58 years
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Annika Sorenstam is one of the world's best golfers but she has never competed in a Professional Golf Association (PGA) event. This May, the Swedish golfer will become the first woman to play in a men's PGA tournament in 58 years.
"For all the well-wishers who want to know why I would accept such a challenge," Sorenstam said, "I am curious to see if I can compete in a PGA Tour event." She will hit from the same tees as the men at the Colonial tournament in May in Fort Worth, Texas.
 |  Sorenstam won 11 LPGA tournaments last year. |
Sorenstam on Top
Sorenstam, 32, is the best player in women's golf. During the past two years, she has won 21 Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tours. That's more than any other golfer, including Tiger Woods. She's also a five-time LPGA player of the year.
"I just think she wants to find out how good she really is, and if the gap between women's golf and men's golf is that great -- or not great at all," Tiger Woods said.
Women and Men on the Golf Course
The last woman to play on the PGA Tour was Babe Zaharias, one of the greatest all-around female athletes ever. She qualified for the 1945 Los Angeles Open but was eliminated in the third round.
Suzy Whaley plans to play in the PGA Tour's Greater Hartford Open in July. She qualified by winning a tournament in which she was allowed to hit from closer tees than the men.
Sorenstam's decision to compete against men is getting a lot of attention, especially from the women’s organizations who have urged the all-male Augusta National Gold Club to allow women to play.
LPGA Tour commissioner Ty Votaw said Sorenstam's performance should not be viewed only as a competition against men. "It's about Annika challenging herself and breaking down barriers, never stopping in her quest to improve and test her abilities," he said.
