Golf: Top woman invited to play men's PGA event

Women's world No 1 Annika Sorenstam is considering playing in a men's event on the US PGA Tour.

Sorenstam has said she would be interested in playing in a men's tournament and the promoter of the BC Open has offered the 32-year-old Swede the opportunity.

The BC Open, which suffers in publicity terms by being staged in the same week as the British Open in July, is held at the En-Joie club in Endicott, New York. The course measures 6377m, on the shorter side, but demands accuracy, Sorenstam's forte.

Sorenstam, who won 13 times last year, would otherwise be playing in the Sybase Big Apple Classic, also in the state of New York, on a course that measures only 5634m.

The BC Open has about three times the prizemoney of the Big Apple Classic.

The week after the BC Open, Suzy Whaley, a club professional, will play in the Greater Hartford Open after winning a pre-qualifier in which she played from shorter tees than her male opponents.

Sorenstam or Whaley will become the first woman to play in an official US Tour event from the same tees.

Laura Davies, who played an exhibition event in Asia against Ernie Els and John Daly, supports the idea.

"Not only are you playing a much harder golf course, but you're trying to justify being there, at least I was," she said. "I was trying to justify that I was teeing it up with the men from the back tees. It's a very difficult thing to do, but if anyone can do it Annika can. I think she'd make the cut comfortably."

Mike Norman, tournament director of the BC Open, said: "It's a no-brainer to ask one of the best golfers in the world to play our event. She's one of the best shotmakers in the world and she should be given the opportunity."

- INDEPENDENT