Monty not a ladies man as more female golfers play men’s tour events
Laura Davies plays at the ANZ Championship, Sydney, in two week's time, becoming the first female ever to appear in a European tour event.
Last May world number one Annika Sorenstam hit the first shots by a woman on the US Tour since 1945, missing the halfway cut by four at the Colonial tournament in Texas.
Since then Suzy Whaley has followed suit; Se Ri Pak, Sophie Gustafson and Davies have played in Asia; Jan Stephenson has played on the American seniors tour; and two weeks ago, sensational 14-year-old Michelle Wie was only a stroke away from making the cut on the US Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii.
The announcement that Davies, who missed the cut in the Korean Open, was to play in Australia quickly became a talking point in the Alpine Golf and Sports Club, Bangkok, hosting the Johnnie Walker Classic.
"I don't know if it's good for the game or not," said Montgomerie. "Sorenstam was, but I'm not sure now we're so many down the road.
"I have no objection, but I don't see where we are ending with this. The Colonial had great press interest, but it's slightly deflated with more of them doing it. It seems to be the in-thing, but I would like one of them to make the cut. That would be good."
The Scot was then informed world number two Pak did so in the SBS Super Tournament in her native South Korea and went on to finish 10th.
Other responses to the issue were varied, if predictable.
"Depends what she looks like," joked one player. "Can we get a couple of invites to their events the ones with the big dosh?" asked another quite seriously.
"The more the merrier it makes it easier to win," said a third.
None, however, echoed the sentiment expressed by Vijay Singh last year: "I hope she [Sorenstam] misses the cut," said the Fijian, earning himself huge criticism.
"I just believe whatever brings publicity is good," said this season's European tour number one Trevor Immelman. "Guys are just focusing on their own games now. They don't care about what anybody else is doing."
Adam Scott was among the 47 players beaten by Wie and has no intention of going to the ANZ event because Davies will be there.
"I'm afraid to enter those ones now," said the young Australian. "I've had plenty of stick about what happened most of it unrepeatable. It's not really great to be beaten by a 14-year-old girl still in high school when you do it for a living. It was good Annika and Michelle played. They are up to the standard where they have a chance of making the cut, but I don't really know where it's all meant to be going. They proved their point and we gave them a chance at it."
On Monday tour executive director Ken Schofield said that their stance was still that their circuit was for men rather than women.
"Our regulations don't really make provision for ladies to play, rather in keeping with the Open championship," he said.
However, the ANZ Championship is co-sponsored with the Australasian Tour and Europe has bowed to their wishes and those of the sponsors to have Davies in the line-up.
