Annika Sorenstam gets her invite to a PGA event - Page 3

AceHigh · #21 02-16-2003, 07:39 PM

The women's courses are generally much easier than the men's. Not just in distance, but how they are set up, length of rough, pin placement, etc. So that's as big a factor as her competitors.

I don't think she'll make the cut. I'd like to see her do well, but it's going to be very tough.

M2d · #22 02-17-2003, 02:06 AM

it's a way to hype up a non-Tiger week. I don't think he usually plays the colonial

olemissgolf · #23 02-17-2003, 05:29 PM

I found this thread, and expected to be seeing people talk about her chances of winning, then winning the Open, and then going on to lead the PGA money list. I was ready to blast them!
Instead, I find comments like "her true odds of making the cut are 100-1" and "about 50-1". Well tell me where to send my money, because I sure want some of that action.
I don't think that either Williams sister can beat the best male amateur tennis player. I'm sure that Annika isn't as good as the best male amateur golfers. And I'm positive that her short-game isn't as good as "any of the men's".
Things to her advantage:
She picked a good tourney.
She will be inspired and motivated.
She plays difficult courses very well.
I think they might soften the conditions to a degree.

Things to her disadvantage:
Hitting longer clubs into the holes.
Faster greens. Shorter fairways. Longer rough.
Tougher pins.
Frenzied media hype leading up to and at Colonial.

Although at least 70 out of 120 players in the field will, (compared to most PGA events with a field of 144 or 156), I think she will fall short. But I don't think by much. She is a great player, and she is on top of her game. I wish her well, and am looking forward to watching.

brad · #24 02-17-2003, 06:18 PM

john macenroe said serena or venus couldnt beat anyone on the mens tour (not even #200) and no one disagreed with him.

Clarkmeister · #25 02-17-2003, 07:10 PM

Didn't Venus play like the #147 guy a year or so ago and get smoked? I remember hearing that somewhere........

HDPM · #26 02-17-2003, 11:23 PM

Bernie: Annika's shortgame is nowhere near that of the men. Nowhere close. She can get going some with the putter, no question. You don't shoot 59 in any tournament on any course if you can't putt. But the greens on the LPGA are a lot easier overall. The pins are also easier as someone else mentioned so getting in position to get hot with the putter is easier. As for the rest of the shots around the greens, she will be at a major disadvantage. She hits the ball about as far as Corey Pavin, a little longer in fact. So how do you think Pavin would do on the LPGA even in his current form which is worse than he used to be? I think he'd routinely win 12 tournaments and multiple majors out there. He probably wouldn't win every week, but he'd win a lot. Tiger would win every single week. Phold would win every single week if he hit 3-iron off the tee at least.

Andy- I have often wondered about this. Particularly when you see small guys like Paul Runyan with magic shortgames. Why aren't women as good around the greens? The practice thing someone else mentioned makes some sense, but there have been women who hit just as many putts and chips when they were young as the guys. I believe the answer is that strength plays a greater role in the shortgame than people think. The control required and super-fine motor skills are aided by strength. It is easy to see why in bunker shots or shots out of high rough. I think of the best dentists I have had and the best putters I have seen. I used to go to an old dentist who had huge hands and wrists. You thought he would hurt you but his touch with sharp instruments was so much lighter than any female dental assistant who has worked on me it's almost funny. My current dentist used to do powerlifting stuff and got very strong for his size. He is very good. When weaker people work on me I seem to get stabbed, poked, and improperly scraped far more. The best chipper and putter I have seen never played the tour, although he took money off more than one tour pro and won some smaller tournaments. He had unbelievably strong hands and forearms. He had a heart attack and lost feel in his left arm so he often hit wedge shots with his right hand only. He could hit them stiff from 75 or so yards one handed. His putting bordered on the miraculous. Is this relationship between strength and touch accidental and only anecdotal? I don't think so. Women can hit the golf ball very well with their technique and timing, which is something most men should try to copy. I just don't know if pure technique and timing is as great an equalizer in the short game as in the full shots. Counter-intuitive, yes. Inaccurate? I don't know, but that's my current working hypothesis for the difference.

M2d · #27 02-19-2003, 02:36 PM

according to CNNSI, the Palms has her at 3.5-1 to make the cut, and 1-5 to miss it.

Clarkmeister · #28 02-19-2003, 03:56 PM

I just saw offshore odds at -430 she misses the cut.

For the uninitiated, thats bet $430 to make $100 profit.

Seems pretty good to me. Any thoughts on the actual line?

M2d · #29 02-19-2003, 04:30 PM

In real life, I'd think you'd have to lay a lot more, but this is gambling, not real life.
All the idiot non-golfers/weekend hacks (not the enlightened non-golfers/weekend hacks [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ) are probably going to take the odds at 3.5-1 or whatever vegas is offering when the blow into town.

olemissgolf · #30 02-20-2003, 12:32 AM

A couple of weeks ago, Laura Baugh played in a North Fla. PGA event, a "very" mini-tour. She did very well, much better than I would have thought. I think she finished around 10th, shooting something like 72-71. I recognized a couple of guys ahead of her who I think are good players.

Granted, these guys aren't PGA Tour players, but Laura is not Annika.
I look forward to watching the Colonial.