European Tour veteran Jean Van De Velde says that he will attempt to enter next year’s Women’s British Open. The 39-year-old Frenchman is upset that the Royal & Ancient Golf Club will allow women to qualify for next year’s (men’s) British Open. The only thing that could even come close to being more disturbing than Jean blowing the 1999 British Open on the 72nd hole is that he says “I’ll even wear a kilt and shave my legs.” What a moron.
“My whole point is where do we draw the line?” Van de Velde asked. He believes the rule change is ridiculous. “If we accept that women can enter our tournaments, then it applies that men can play with women,” he said.
Next year’s Weetabix Women’s British Open is scheduled for Aug. 3-6 at Royal Lytham. The event is run by the Ladies’ Golf Union. This year, the LGU established a policy which states: “It shall be a condition of any competition organized by the Ladies’ Golf Union that players must be of the female gender.” This policy does allow those who have undergone sex-change operations to become female play in LGU sanctioned events.
You may remember sexual convert Australian Mianne Bagger, famous for playing in LGU tournaments this year. Chief executive officer of the LGU, Andy Salmon, said on Thursday that there was no plan to change the rule.
“If we accept that women can enter our tournaments, then it applies that men can play with women,” Van de Velde said.
He later hinted that a possible legal action could be filed if he were not allowed to play, saying “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. I am making a point. I’m not trying to take a sexist stance.”
Even former Ryder Cup player Barry Lane has suggested a simple 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 (women).”
Photo Credits: © The PGA European Tour.
He has every right to qualify if it’s open to him but BOY is he gonna look like a sissy.
Especially if he DOESN’T qualify!
I agree with Jean on this, if it’s decided to open qualifying for men’s events to women, then men should be permitted to attempt to qualify for womens events. The issue is, I think, analagous to a situation where a woman gets a job ahead of better qualified men, just so the employer can say they have equal numbers employed. That’s not equality, it’s still discrimination.
It’s different if a sponsor invites women to play, because the sponsor is paying up for that, but in my opinion the sponsor should not reduce the number of spaces for qualifying men in their events where they invite others to play.
Remember Bobby Riggs – he made a fool of himself when he challenged Billie Jean King to a tennis match. Jean will probably do the same thing, however, I think he’s right in his attempt to “draw the line” somewhere.
Maybe the PGA should change its name to MPGA. Personally I don’t know what women are trying to prove – – – they have sued to be able to play football with the boys, baseball with the boys, etc. Even Annika could not make the cut in a PGA event. So, if it is an ego question, I think it should be a private bet on the side one on one. I think Michelle would not have been so closely scrutinized if she would have kept her ambitions to herself. I wonder how many female athletes are taking male hormones now to try to “bulk up” for upcoming “men’s” events? The past is the past (speaking of biggotry in any form), we’ve all come to realize that. It’s always fun to have “mixed” events from time to time, but, the bottom line is let mem be men and women be women.
If the R&A and the PGA Tour didn’t want and like the free PR it gets for them, they’d change their rules.
The LPGA is smart enough to know they can’t have men in their events, so they make a rule to prohibit it.
If the PGA cared about their members instead of their bank account, they would do the same.
Maybe the members should boycott tournaments until they do.
I can’t possibly understand why some of you think he should be allowed to play against the women. That’s ridiculous.
Should he also be allowed to play on the Champions Tour? The AJGA circuit? Why don’t we let him compete in the Special Olympics?
The further up you go in ability, the less restrictions there are. The PGA Tour (and the British Open) are as high up as you can go – if you’ve got the ability and you qualify, you can play. Lesser circuits have more restrictions, and for women’s events, that includes being a woman (in gender, not in spirit).
It has nothing to do with bank accounts and everything to do with common sense.