THE UNKINDEST CUT

Sorenstam misses cut by 4 strokes (JOEL BOYD, May 24, 2003, Chicago Sun-Times)

With her ball-striking not as sharp as it was in a first-round 71, Sorenstam put pressure on her short game, considered her weakness. It came through early, with sand saves on Nos. 1 and 3, but as the day wore on, she repeatedly left chips and putts well short of the hole.

After sticking a 9-iron to seven feet on No. 2 for her lone birdie, Sorenstam bogeyed No. 5 after her drive caught a tree limb, added another at No. 6 after a poor chip and three-putted Nos. 8, 10 and 12. She righted the ship on the last six holes, parring in for a 36-hole total of 5-over 145.

That left her tied for 96th and ahead of only 11 of the 111 players who finished 36 holes. Still, that group included Bob Estes, ranked 16th in the world, and former PGA Championship winner Mark Brooks. [...]

She also won over some of her harshest critics, her fellow competitors.

''Some of the guys who have said less positive things have come up and told me they were proud of me,'' Sorenstam said. ''Most of the guys have been very supportive. I couldn't have asked for a better reception.''

The fallout from Sorenstam's performance might be less positive. Critics are likely to point to her position in the field and say her shortcomings were exposed over 36 holes.

At least one player hopes that doesn't happen. Dan Forsman, tied for the second-round lead with Kenny Perry at 8-under 132, said the top-ranked LPGA player should be allowed to play as many tournaments as she wants.

''I guess some of the guys will say, 'I told you so,' and others will say she had a heck of tournament,'' Forsman said. ''Others will say she's nothing but class, and frankly I'm in that camp.

''It's clear there is a gap. But what I'd hate to see happen is people be so critical of this to where they make these girls feel like it's ridiculous. Because I don't think it is.''

Neither does Pia Nilsson, Sorenstam's former coach and mentor. Nilsson disputed the idea that Sorenstam's score showed women don't belong on the PGA Tour.

''Some may think so,'' Nilsson said. ''But this proves women's golf, when it's the best in the world, is played at a very high level.''

Though we predictably think it's one short step from here to cats and dogs sleeping together, we'd not have a big problem with her playing in Men's Tournaments so long as she goes to Q-School and wins a tour card. What's most objectionable is allowing women athletes to play in events they are not qualified to compete in.

Meanwhile though, the coverage of her effort seems terribly patronizing. She is a more dominant player on her tour than Tiger is on his, winning 11 women's events last year. She hand-picked a tournament she thought she could perform well in and played as well as she's capable of on Thursday, not as well on Friday. Yet she still missed the cut and would have if it had been made on Thursday night. Regardless of what one thinks of the propriety of the event, it demonstrated rather conclusively that the divide between the sexes, at least as regards professional golf, is gaping. As Tom Boswell predicted earlier in the week, it would appear that best female golfer in the world--maybe the best ever--is roughly as good as the 100th best player among the men.

That does not mean we shouldn't admire her courage and the way she handled herself this week--she seemed every inch a lady--but it does mean that all the talk about how she "proved" something is mere hyperbole. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 24, 2003 11:07 AM