Posted on: Sunday, May 18, 2003

EDITORIAL
Golf wins determined by score, not gender

You have to feel sorry for Vijay Singh, the Fijian golfer who ran into a media buzzsaw when he suggested that women golfers have no business competing against men in professional tournaments.

Singh was referring to Annika Sorenstam, the leading golfer on the LPGA tour, who has been invited to the supremely uncomfortable position as the only woman in the Colonial men's event.

"I hope she misses the cut," said Singh. "Why? Because she doesn't belong out here."

On paper, that assertion is ridiculous. Sure, most men outdrive her, but we predict Sorenstam's short game wizardry will impress the pants off a lot of them.

In the end, of course, Sorenstam is just the narrow edge of the wedge.

The wave of the future includes Michelle Wie, the Punahou 13-year-old phenom who is scheduled to play in two lower-level men's professional events this season.

Wie has already played against male pros, and tied for fourth in the Hawai'i State Amateur Stroke Play Championship in March. When she's ready to turn pro, she'd like to play half time on the women's tour, and half time on the men's.

We're not sure what male players are afraid of in all this. After all, if women find they just can't cut the mustard in men's events, the threat will subside. All the men have to do is make sure they beat the women challengers.

We hope that doesn't happen. We hope to see a lot male golfers eat a little humble pie.