Suzy Whaley accepts bid to play in PGA event

[Clarkmeister]

She earned an automatic berth in the Greater Hartford Open by winning a qualifying tournament playing on tees 10% shorter than the mens tees. This gave her a berth which she has subsequently accepted. In the actual upcoming PGA Tour event, she will have to play from the same tees as the men.

My question: What are the odds that she makes the cut? That she beats 10 players in the field? That she beats 1 player in the field?

My guesses:

1. 100,000-1
2. 30-1
3. 1-1

[IrishHand]

That 10% shorter on the qualifying tees makes a huge difference in a game of inches.

Hopefully, she'll just embarass herself so we don't need to listen to morons harping about equality in sports for a couple weeks. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

(Despite appearances - that's not really a sexist comment. If women were anywhere near equal to men in any sport that I enjoy, I'd be more than happy to have them participate equally. If a female can compete on the PGA tour, she would do so with my respect and admiration. However, it's pretty obvious that the top female players on the LPGA would get absolutely humilated if they played on the PGA tour - hard to reasonably think that a non-pro will fare any better.)

Irish

[HDPM]

My question: What are the odds that she makes the cut? That she beats 10 players
in the field? That she beats 1 player in the field?

My guesses:

1. 100,000-1
2. 30-1
3. 1-1

I think these odds are arguably about right, but maybe low. I'd say 250,000-1, 250-1, 1.5-1. Michelle Wie might steal her thunder by qualifying for the Hawaiian Open from the men's tees. 13 y/o Michelle thinks it's unfair for Whaley to have qualified from short tees. I do too. Traditionally the winner of the sectional there in Conneticut gets an invite, but it's not a qualifier. I think it's fine the PGA has tournaments where female PGA members play from shorter tees. But obviously the Tour can't allow that. So the invitation is tainted. Someday a woman will step up and qualify. It might be Michelle Wie in a few years. Her attitude is right and will help her. I think Whaley is really helping out the GHO though, and that is a nice thing for her to do.