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Looks Like Jean will apply to qualify for the Women's Open at Royal Lytham next year.

Story here

You know I may be weird, but I think he is correct sort of. I mean if some guy, a good player, wants to enter a women’s competition and he knows that he can win it then fine, whatever. Then chastise him for beating up on weaker competition. Why doesn’t anyone win the Heisman 2 times (except Griffin)? Because after you win it once you know that the competition is inferior and thus you move on. There is no accomplishment (except in this case the money I guess) in winning something you know you can win. At least that is my opinion.

Maybe they should have some graduated system, like after you place in so and so a position in a men’s event you cannot go back down to a women’s event. Sort of like the amateur-pro distinction. I dunno.

I'm sure he could find a way to choke away that Open as well....

Maybe this is just an attempt to be remembered for something else rather than his play on the 18th hole at Carnoustie.

There'll be just as much shame in it either way.

From the article, it appears that there's no way he'll even come close to getting the chance anyway.

I think he justs wants to play off the women's tee so he can reach all the Par 4's, even from the deep rough.

Are there any burns on Lytham? If so, Van de Velde better start practicing removing his socks - or buy a ball retriever...

He apparently has found his niche. If you're going to be the laughing stock of pro golf, you may as well give it 100%.

I don't believe I remember any from the 2001 Open...but hey, Duval won there, so why not Van de Velde?

Seriously though, great point wazman. The laughingstock of golf...while the whole equality thing can be debated, the fact that one events laws say only females are allowed while the other states only that the best players in the world can play makes his argument essentially a moot point.

Van de Velde's application will most certainly be denied but you can't "deny" the fact that, on principle, his point is correct. Where's Martha Burke now? Seems to me that the Women's Rights/Equality groups want equality everywhere except the golf course.

Barry Lane's quote got me thinking about the ramifications of allowing women to play in men's events and vice versa. If this bantering of "equality" continues sports as we know it will cease to exist. Someone, somewhere is going to take the equality issue to court and win. Based off of that ruling then all sports will have be opened to all genders (see Title IX). Women will be allowed to play all men's sports and men will be allowed to play in all women's sports. For the men it will not be a big change until rules are set up to allow for gender neutrality. In golf ladies will be able to play from a different set of tees. In basketball men cannot guard ladies and men must stay outside the paint. In volleyball a lady must touch the ball at least once before it goes back over the net (that rule already exists in co-ed volleyball.) I think you see where I'm going with this. What's worse is womens sports will go away and that will cut out alot of women who cannot compete with the men even if they receive some type of handicap. It was interesting to watch Sorenstam and Wie compete on the PGA tour but I don't see anything but inevitable disaster for womens sports being the outcome. THOUGHTS????

P.S. Ladies, please don't take offense, I enjoy watching womens sports (volleyball, golf, basketball, etc) but I just don't see any good coming out of all this.

I think Jennifer Mario's daily blog hits the nail on the head.

I sort of thought that he had a point, until I heard him say that if he had to he would share the same locker room and shave his legs and wear a kilt... If I were a woman who fought for the ERA and struggled as a single mother to go through law school only to be paid less than a man for the same work, I would be quite distressed by these sexist comments. But I'm a dude, so, he just looks like a moron.

He is definitely an idiot. I would equate it to a PGA TOUR player complaining because he is ineligible to play on the Hooter's Tour. Women have to step it up to play with the men, NOT move down as in this case. The reason the men do not need a gender clause is that we are talking about he best players in the world. If a woman can qualify then let them tee it up. In reality, there are maybe two in the world that could make a cut...I don't understand the fuss.

A very unlikely scenario, IMO. Title 9 only applies to college sports funding. Women already can try out for mens sports if that sport is not offered to women. I presume that the same would be true for men. I know that a couple of guys have tried out for field hockey & volleyball where there was no guys team for that sport. Pro sports leagues & associations are private entities. The PGA Tour could pass a bylaw tomorrow banning women if they chose to... there's no need. There is more money in having the occassional Michelle or Annika play.