Could a Female Golfer be the PGA Tour in next 50 years

Johnny_Fontane

good chat in the office this morning about whether a female golfer could compete on the PGA Tour in the next 50 years.

I'm a stats guy and from that respect, I think not, simply because of the fact that physically women are not as strong as men. Its not beyond the realm of possibility but I dont see it happening.

This is a conversation with another guy, so its not a sexist thing. I'd love to see women on tour, the pga/european tour would kill for it with enhanced audiences, I just dont think it will happen.

dan_ep82

I don't think the argument over strength is a valid one, theres plenty of female body builders and women who have a more muscular build than your average woman. I think the question is whether or not one of those minority will ever consider golf as a worthwhile venture.

PARlance

The way the Pro game of golf is going* if it hasn't happened already, I can't see it happening in the next 50 years.

*The game is becoming more and more about strength and power, it's amazing when you look at some of the PGA Classics shown on TV, there was a feature recently on Anthony Kim winning in 2008... the changes in the size, strength, conditioning of the field in the last 5-6 years was unreal.

e.r

Ask michelle wie how'd they would get on ..

Johnny_Fontane

dan_ep82 wrote: »

I don't think the argument over strength is a valid one, theres plenty of female body builders and women who have a more muscular build than your average woman. I think the question is whether or not one of those minority will ever consider golf as a worthwhile venture.

the problem is though that even if you take the longest woman on tour, they are still 10 yards behind the shortest men. And of course, to make up that difference, you need to putt like the very best (which is possible). The problem I still see is that the women are going to be 1 or 2 clubs more every time into greens and statisically that makes it very very difficult to survive on tour. And thats taking the longest woman on tour. If you take the no.1 womans player, Inbee Park, she's driving an average of 246 yards last year to mike weirs 272.

Its obviously not all about driving, but if you have an extra two clubs into every hole, its gotta be tough over a season to be in the top 115.

blue note

No. Women just aren't as sporting as men. If you look at tennis physicality is massive in the women's game and they're not close to the men in that regard. It's talked about less, but the shot variety is also far less in the women's game. Its all baseline rallies.

Basically I don't think they can compete physically or skill wise.

PARlance

dan_ep82 wrote: »

I don't think the argument over strength is a valid one, theres plenty of female body builders and women who have a more muscular build than your average woman. I think the question is whether or not one of those minority will ever consider golf as a worthwhile venture.

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

the problem is though that even if you take the longest woman on tour, they are still 10 yards behind the shortest men. And of course, to make up that difference, you need to putt like the very best (which is possible). The problem I still see is that the women are going to be 1 or 2 clubs more every time into greens and statisically that makes it very very difficult to survive on tour. And thats taking the longest woman on tour. If you take the no.1 womans player, Inbee Park, she's driving an average of 246 yards last year to mike weirs 272.

Its obviously not all about driving, but if you have an extra two clubs into every hole, its gotta be tough over a season to be in the top 115.

And focusing solely on strength, if one of the ladies on the LPGA was to focus on getting her strength up to match Mike Weirs, they would probably have to become more like a bodybuilder than golfer.... and having that "build" is probably going to negatively affect their game in other areas, less flexibility, touch etc.

Genetically it could happen that some lady comes along, but it's a small chance, and an even smaller chance that they'll go into the world of golf.

SnowDrifts

Well there are already some big hitters on the LPGA - Lexi Thompson being up there and still only 18/19. If you look at Jim Furyk - he did reasonably well on tour last year and contented in lots of big events. His driving averages were just about on par with the biggest hitter on the LPGA for 2013. Obviously driving distance is not everything but it could happen....

http://www.lpga.com/stats/stats-detail.aspx?q=avg%20driving%20dist&y=2013

http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.101.html#2013

John Divney

They would have to be a Zach Johnson or Luke Donald type.

I think it would be daft to say they couldn't play and make cuts, obviously they could, but the lack of birdie chances due to longer clubs into par 4/5's would grind and grind.

They would probabaly never win, but could easily earn a living like most of the players who never win.

ForeRight

I saw an interesting exhibition a while back. It was Serena Williams who was the top of the women's game and head and shoulders above all other women on her day with her strenght versus some guy ranked 100 or so I the world. It was a mis match.


Serena barely won a point!

RoadRunner

You sometimes get oddities. In the male domainated rally world, Michele Mouton came along in the 80's and put groub B 600+hp killers ahead of the guys quite regularly. She set the record for pikes peak in '85 beating the 60 strong other male competitors. The group B cars were banned in the late 80's, they were deemed too powerful & dangerous. She retired over the ban and no other female ever followed in her footsteps.

For sure it'd be a big win to have your sports brand associated with the one female golfer taking on the big guys. There'd probably be very lucrative sponsorship deals in that.

PARlance

RoadRunner wrote: »

You sometimes get oddities. In the male domainated rally world, Michele Mouton came along in the 80's and put groub B 600+hp killers ahead of the guys quite regularly. She set the record for pikes peak in '85 beating the 60 strong other male competitors. The group B cars were banned in the late 80's, they were deemed too powerful & dangerous. She retired over the ban and no other female ever followed in her footsteps.

For sure it'd be a big win to have your sports brand associated with the one female golfer taking on the big guys. There'd probably be very lucrative sponsorship deals in that.

If more women were into rally driving as kids, then I don't think she would be an oddity. i.e I think if there was a 50/50 split of youngsters rallying, then you could have a pretty balanced split among the elite when the grew up... Saying that (with little knowledge of the sport tbf) on the basis that it is a more mental, rather than physical sport?

Dbu

No
Like an Elephant,
great to look at but I would hate to own one...

Right Im off to get my coat:p

charlieIRL

PARlance wrote: »

If more women were into rally driving as kids, then I don't think she would be an oddity. i.e I think if there was a 50/50 split of youngsters rallying, then you could have a pretty balanced split among the elite when the grew up... Saying that (with little knowledge of the sport tbf) on the basis that it is a more mental, rather than physical sport?

I remember when i was competing there was hardly every and women rallying apart from Billy Colemans daughter / granddaughter - not sure which. Its not a macho sport like others but somehow didn't appeal to others.

As for golf - I'd love to see a mixed European team take on a mixed US team in a Ryder / Soleheim Cup kind of match. Reckon it would draw big crowds.

Slicemeister

I'd love to see more women play the PGA or European Tour. Can only be good for the game long term, so long as all players are playing on the same terms and boxes etc, why not?

Russman

Slicemeister wrote: »

I'd love to see more women play the PGA or European Tour. Can only be good for the game long term, so long as all players are playing on the same terms and boxes etc, why not?

Can't agree that having a woman tee it up in a tour event is good to be honest, it would inevitably turn into a PR stunt, and arguably deprive a male player who could conceivably win the thing from playing in it.

I've nothing at all against ladies playing, but they simply cannot compete against the top male pros. Look at when Annika tried it, the best woman player ever, on one of the shortest courses, and didn't make the cut. And that was pre Dustin Johnson, Bubba, Woodland, Kokrak etc. These lads would be 80-100yds ahead off the tee, and how would the ladies be able to hit out of some of the heavy rough you get on tour.

The power game has largely taken over now, so the ladies would have to be on even more Persian rugs than the guys !

At elite amateur level maybe it would be possible, but even then I doubt it.

Ronney

ForeRight wrote: »

I saw an interesting exhibition a while back. It was Serena Williams who was the top of the women's game and head and shoulders above all other women on her day with her strenght versus some guy ranked 100 or so I the world. It was a mis match.


Serena barely won a point!

This one your thinking off?

Karsten Braasch vs. the Williams sisters[edit]

A fourth event dubbed a "Battle of the Sexes" took place during the 1998 Australian Open[20] between Karsten Braasch and the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena Williams, aged 17 and 16 respectively, had claimed that they could beat any male player ranked below 200, so Braasch, then ranked 203rd, challenged them both. The matches took place on court number 12 in Melbourne Park.[21] Braasch first took on Venus and beat her 6–2. He then played Serena and won 6–1.[22] Braasch said afterwards, "500 and above, no chance". He added that he had played like someone ranked 600th in order to keep the game "fun"

charlieIRL

lets keep this civil lads

Par72

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

I'd love to see women on tour, the pga/european tour would kill for it with enhanced audiences, I just dont think it will happen.

Don't know why it would increase audiences, just for novelty value do you mean? The ladies tour doesn't get near as many viewers as the men's one.

GreeBo

Par72 wrote: »

Don't know why it would increase audiences, just for novelty value do you mean? The ladies tour doesn't get near as many viewers as the men's one.

Presumably the people who watch womens golf would now also watch the PGA tour, if they didnt already.