ExPro
Jul 2, 2007, 06:55 PM
The Tour’s Teenyboppers
As the parent of a teenage girl, it is very noticeable to me how much the field at the 2007 US Women’s Open is getting younger and younger. In fact, it looks more like a swimming or gymnastics meet. It is now cool for girls to play golf!
The field of 156 participants consists of 24 teenagers, with approximately one third under the age of 22. That compares to only five players under 22 in last month’s men’s U.S. Open. And, as you may have heard, one participant is 12.
That would be Alexis Thompson, the youngest ever to qualify for the event. Other competitors include Kimberly Kim, who won last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at 14, and Morgan Pressel, who earlier this year at 18 became the youngest player to win a woman’s professional major.
But the truth is that high-level golf seems to be something that teenage girls (and sub-teenage girls) are capable of these days — and presumably always would have been if they’d had the training, self-belief and role models that girls these days have.
The most-famous prodigy in the field is Michelle Wie, now 17, who rose to white-hot fame four years ago. It could be argued that like Tiger Woods, Wie, Paula Creamer and Pressel have been the main influences in golf being more attractive and becoming more ‘cool’ to play?!
You can call it the Tiger Woods effect for girls, but the difference is that girls tend to mature physically sooner than boys. Many, by their early or mid teens, have attained their full adult stature and close to their full adult strength. They are ready for prime time earlier.
The non-elite girls are also showing more interest in golf these days. In a generally stagnant golf market, the only category that has shown any significant growth in the last few years is under-17 females. A magazine called Golfer Girl has just debuted, with features about top young players and golf fashion. The competitive scene for girls in places like Southern California and Florida rivals that for boys.
Personally, this can only be good for the ladies game and the golf in general. To the extent that ‘die-hard’ sponsors of other sports are strategically chaging direction and investing in golf. I foresee a conveyor belt of young ladies talent emerging from areas such as China, Korea and from around the globe in the next generation which are going to take the game to the next level, similar to when Tiger Wood’s emerged on the professional mens scene.
all the best to you guys in Canada - ps. keep your heads down and part those fairways!
graham@golfblogger.co.uk
Scotland, Home of Golf
As the parent of a teenage girl, it is very noticeable to me how much the field at the 2007 US Women’s Open is getting younger and younger. In fact, it looks more like a swimming or gymnastics meet. It is now cool for girls to play golf!
The field of 156 participants consists of 24 teenagers, with approximately one third under the age of 22. That compares to only five players under 22 in last month’s men’s U.S. Open. And, as you may have heard, one participant is 12.
That would be Alexis Thompson, the youngest ever to qualify for the event. Other competitors include Kimberly Kim, who won last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at 14, and Morgan Pressel, who earlier this year at 18 became the youngest player to win a woman’s professional major.
But the truth is that high-level golf seems to be something that teenage girls (and sub-teenage girls) are capable of these days — and presumably always would have been if they’d had the training, self-belief and role models that girls these days have.
The most-famous prodigy in the field is Michelle Wie, now 17, who rose to white-hot fame four years ago. It could be argued that like Tiger Woods, Wie, Paula Creamer and Pressel have been the main influences in golf being more attractive and becoming more ‘cool’ to play?!
You can call it the Tiger Woods effect for girls, but the difference is that girls tend to mature physically sooner than boys. Many, by their early or mid teens, have attained their full adult stature and close to their full adult strength. They are ready for prime time earlier.
The non-elite girls are also showing more interest in golf these days. In a generally stagnant golf market, the only category that has shown any significant growth in the last few years is under-17 females. A magazine called Golfer Girl has just debuted, with features about top young players and golf fashion. The competitive scene for girls in places like Southern California and Florida rivals that for boys.
Personally, this can only be good for the ladies game and the golf in general. To the extent that ‘die-hard’ sponsors of other sports are strategically chaging direction and investing in golf. I foresee a conveyor belt of young ladies talent emerging from areas such as China, Korea and from around the globe in the next generation which are going to take the game to the next level, similar to when Tiger Wood’s emerged on the professional mens scene.
all the best to you guys in Canada - ps. keep your heads down and part those fairways!
graham@golfblogger.co.uk
Scotland, Home of Golf