Is Annika Sorenstam’s Latest ANGC Enrollment a Huge Step Towards Abolishing Stereotypes In Female Golf

Whenever anything related to sports is being discussed, people always think of male athletes, male sportspersons, and male sports first. Female athletes are cruising in their respective fields and sports but have yet to receive fame, money, followers, and recognition as their male co-athletes. The disparities between male and female sportspeople have become a widespread notion in the entirety of the sports world and have spread their way to the golf world as well. There is a huge extent of discrepancies and unevenness between the two faces of golf that represent female golfers and male golfers, namely the LPGA Tour and the PGA Tour.

There is a vast difference between the two Tours in terms of their popularity, fan base, events, prize money, venues, arrangements, hospitality services, and so on. But, lately, it seems that efforts are being made to bridge the gap and abolish the stereotypes between the LPGA Tour and the PGA Tour. Especially with the LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam as the first LPGA professional to be awarded a membership at Augusta National Golf Club, home to Masters since 1934.

Is Annika Sorenstam’s Augusta feat a huge leap towards equality in the golf world?

Recently, the LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam became the first LPGAT professional to be invited to join the private Georgia-based, exclusive Augusta National Golf Club. Though she is not the first-ever female to receive the exclusive green jacket, in 2012, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and financier Darla Moore became the first-ever female to receive the club membership.

Annika Sorenstam has 90 victories to her name and 10 major titles, and her being invited to join such an exclusive club that has been called out for being a male-dominated club is a feat and a small step towards breaking the stereotypes in female golf.

Speaking about how she felt after the invite, the golf veteran said, “It was a surprise, I must say that. And I was so excited—you know, one of the happiest days of my golf life.” Sorenstam’s admission to ANGC can be regarded as a powerful feminist movement to propagate female golf and make golf more inclusive.

Sorenstam’s admission to such an exclusive club can open a lot of doors for female golfers and the LPGA Tour. As Billy Jean said, his prayer is for Augusta to hold an LPGA event. If it happens, the moment will surely go down in history, written in gold. Being part of the club may bring some bonus opportunities or may open doors for other membership invitations. Not only Annika’s admission, but the LPGA Tour is also doing its part to fill the gap that exists between the two faces of golf.

Read more: As LPGA Heavyweights Like Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko Falter, Is Female Golf Turning Over a New Leaf With Younger and Newer Talents?

Is the LPGA Tour mending its way to reach the PGA Tour’s par?

One of the most worrying and largest discrepancies that exist between the PGAT and LPGAT is the difference in prize money that both tours have in their events. Usually, the entire prize money of the LPGA event is less or equal to what is being offered to the male winner of the tournament.

But recently, the LPGA Tour announced its return to Boston with FM Global with an event titled FM Global Championship. The Boston-based event is offering a very high prize of $3.5 million. This sum is regarded as one of the steeped prize money offerings to female golfers and is sure to be a beacon of hope for them in times of so many new introductions, such as LIV Golf and TGL, to male golf.

The Boston event and Sorenstam’s admission to Augusta National Golf Club are surely long-awaited moves for female golfers and the sport as well. These steps will surely help take the female side of the sport to new, incredible heights and break many stereotypes along the way.

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