In the Swing of Things

How the bird has left the nest.  Chris, Clare’s fiancé, bought her a set of golf clubs, this for a sport that could repulse any self-respecting zombie.  Oh, well.  The interesting thing is that people in the know told Chris to get senior men’s clubs for Clare.  Women’s clubs are just too light in her hands.  Well, at least that’s stayed the same.

Speaking of golf, the Women’s PGA tournament in south suburban Olympia Fields took place over the weekend.  Onetime wunderkind Michelle Wie, now a venerable 27-years old, finished tied for ninth; her parents were reported hovering around early on, a presence that has not been of a particular help to Wie.  At least no one ever accused me of physically getting in the way of my daughter’s athletic development.

Women playing golf and tennis apparently merits coverage in Chicago, basketball and softball not so much, if at all.  Part of me wants to say there’s a cheesecake factor involved, as in exposed legs, but I could be wrong.  Who knows, maybe men care how well women can hit a golf or tennis ball. 

Retired tennis great John McEnroe definitely seems to care about Serena Williams.  Last week or thereabouts, McEnroe called Williams the greatest female tennis player ever, but one who would rank “like 700 in the world” if she played on the men’s circuit.  McEnroe took a lot of heat, deservedly, for the remark.  It would be interesting, though, to see how Williams in her prime would fare against male players.  I’m betting a whole bunch higher than 700.

Who cares?  Well, questions like this in sports not only aren’t going away, they’re going to increase as women continue to enter what used to be an all-man’s world from business and politics to the military.  If women can run for President, complete Army Ranger training (and do the same bizarre stuff men do on “American Ninja Warrior”), people are inevitably going to wonder: Could she do that, too?

Eventually, the answer will be Yes, with or without senior clubs.