Playing From The Ladies’ Tees

The following story recently appeared in an Australian Newspaper… Transgendered Golfer Makes History… A transgendered woman will make golfing history next month when she tees up for the Australian Women's Open. Never before has a transgendered woman played in a professional women's tournament.

"It's a dream for me -- I've been playing golf since I was eight, but I turned professional only in August last year. So, it's been a long time coming," said 37-year-old Mianne Bagger.

Bagger admitted that while most women on the golf course accepted her sex-change operation, some still found it hard to come to terms with.

"I have made a lot of great girlfriends through golf, but there are some women who find me hard to accept," Bagger said.

"To most people, I am just another one of the girls out there playing."

She said she went through two years of hormone replacement therapy before surgery in 1995.

"There seems to be a misconception in society that one day we (transsexuals) just wake up and think, 'I'm going to have a sex-change today'," she said. "I have always known there was something different about me since I was young -- we are born this way."
A Women's Golf Australia spokesperson said the WGA welcomes Bagger in the tournament and has been following her progress since the 1990s when it formed a policy to allow her to play in, and win, the South Australia amateur championship.
"Mianne has been playing for years in our amateur tournaments where we have no rules against trans-gender players," the spokeswoman said. "There is no reason why she should not continue her golfing career in the professional tournament."

Bagger said she one day hoped to move on from being seen as "the transsexual" golfer.

"My sexuality is just one of the obstacles I am going to have to face," she said. "What people have to realize is that plenty of men and women out there are transsexuals.”

Which begs the question, how many is “plenty”? As a semi-old, white, southern guy I’m not sure what to think of Mianne Bagger. I know so little about the subject that I don’t even know the right questions to ask. I assume that Mianne is not simply trying to find a way to play from the front tees, but frankly anyone who would be crazy enough to have their privates cut off, is also crazy enough want to play from the front tees. Is that insensitive? Sure. Inaccurate? Who knows?

For Mianne sake, I can only hope that she did her homework because history has proven that transgender athletes haven’t done all that well in competition. At least that’s the case for the most famous transgender athlete that I can remember, Renée Richards. In 1975, at the age of forty, Richard Raskind, a renowned eye surgeon and highly ranked amateur tennis player, "died," (so to speak) and Renée Richards was "born," (more or less) in what became the most public and highly scrutinized sex reassignment to date.

Granted, Dr. Renee’ Richards was already forty years old when she/he its began his/her its tennis career, and to most people’s surprise, the six-foot tall, 170 pounds good Doctor wasn’t able to dominate the real ladies. It seems the hormone replacement therapy that is required for changing a person’s sex actually does make you a bit of a wussie… not that there is anything wrong with that.

That started me thinking, which PGA star would make the best female golfer? Would it be the Tigress, or Phillis, or perhaps even K.J. Choi for those who prefer something more exotic? Certainly, Tigress would be the one with the best body and Phillis would be the one with the biggest boobs. One things for sure, it could never be Bubba Watson, or Jason Gore or John Daly because no one wants to look at any one of those guys in those little shorts.

For now, let agree that everyone should keep their own bodies parts and play from the appropriate tees. But, like Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) of Wayne’s World might have said, “Did you ever look at Adam Scott or Trevor Immelman and wonder what they would look like in a dress? Neither did I.”

How Much Is A PGA Tour Card Worth?

Lee Trevino once said, “Pressure is playing for ten dollars when you don't have a dime in your pocket.” That may still be true, but getting and keeping a PGA Tour Card will pucker you up as well. More than ever, a PGA Tour Card is an incredibly valuable thing. Based on the fact that it takes almost a million dollars in winnings each year just to keep it, any one of the 125 PGA Tour Cards is worth at least that and a lot more if you are able to hang on to yours.

Consider that Tiger Woods pocketed $10,867,052 in winnings in 2007, Phil Mickelson grabbed another $5,819,988 for his efforts and another five guys made more than $4 million. Now look at career earns where Tiger has already earned $76,579,376, Vijay Singh $54,108,218, Phil Mickelson $45,334,026 and another 75 guys have earned more than $10 million in their careers. As Bunker Hunt once said, “A million here and a million there and pretty soon you’re talking about some serious money.”

Don’t get me wrong I’m not against athletes making big money. As a matter of fact, I think golfers, who are basically independent contractors, actually deserve their winnings. It’s win or go home. Actually, it’s make the cut or go home but that’s splitting hairs.

Now none of this includes endorsements and other stipends that are available. Did you know that Titleist pays every guy on Tour that plays their ball each week, every one of them. Footjoy does the same with gloves and shoes. A few years ago I calculated that anyone who can make the field of a tournament makes at least $2,500 a week playing and wearing the right stuff. The trick is making the field, huh?

There’s a survey taken each week at each event asking every player about clubs (drivers, fairway, irons, hybrids, wedges and putters), shafts (driver, fairway, irons and hybrids), ball, grips, shoes, and underwear. Okay, I made up the part about underwear. From that weekly count club makers, ball guys, and shaft manufactures along with every other golf gadget lives and dies. If the right guy plays your club it’s worth millions. If you lose the right guy you just might lose your job.

The perks at the tournaments aren’t bad either. It starts with a free car for the week, Cadillac, Mercedes and who knows what else. Then there are tickets and luxury boxes just for the asking. You want to see Mavericks play? No problem. You like the Stones? Here’s your backstage pass. And the food and gift packages fill up your locker. As they say, to whom much is given, more is given each week.

It’s a great life, if you’re a great player. It’s a pretty damn good life if you’re a good player come to think of it. When is the last time you hit balls on the range and never had to bend over to put your own ball on the tee? Which reminds me, did you know that Tiger Woods brings his own range balls to each tournament? It’s true, and after the balls are picked up some poor soul has to sort through them and return the Nike balls to Tiger.

Yep, it is good to be the king in any job including sports.

So what’s at stake in this final week of the PGA Tour? What’s on the line at the Nationwide and Q-school in this final week? It’s a king’s ransom; fame and fortune; your picture on a Wheaties box; a date with Britney Spears; hosting Saturday Night Live; a stack of money ten-feet tall; and don’t forget the free golf balls.

Pressure? Maybe just a little.