On several occasions, women have teed it up in men's PGA Tour events. Here is a brief history of those golfers and tournaments.
Michelle Wie
Event: Sony Open (2004)
Result: 72-68; Missed the cut; T-80th
Event: Sony Open (2005)
Result: 75-74; Missed the cut; T-128th
Event: John Deere Classic (2005)
Result: 70-71; Missed the cut; T-78th
Event: Sony Open (2006)
Result: 79-68; Missed the cut; T-117th
Event: John Deere Classic (2006)
Result: 77-WD; Withdrew
Event: 84 Lumber Classic (2006)
Result: 77-81; Missed the cut; 134th
Event: Sony Open (2007)
Result: 78-76; Missed the cut; 139th
Event: Reno-Tahoe Open (2008)
Result: 73-80; Missed the cut; T-118th
Quotable: "I am going to cherish this moment because this is the tournament I have always wanted to play in," Wie told reporters before her appearance in the 2004 Sony Open, according to The Guardian.
Michelle Wie first played in a PGA Tour event at 14 years old, when she competed in the Sony Open and only missed the cut by one stroke. In total, she competed in eight PGA Tour events, twice carding a 68 – the lowest score ever in a round by a woman competing in a PGA Tour event.
Annika Sorenstam
Event: Colonial (2003)
Result: 71-74; Missed the cut; T-96th
Quotable: "I talk about the event when I do public speaking," Sorenstam told Golf Channel. "I talk about how we all come to crossroads in our lives. It might be a career-changing path, or marriage plans, or some difficult medical decision. Whatever it is, it's easy to fear something will go wrong, but you have to look at the positives and forge ahead. What happened at Colonial made me stronger."
Sorenstam became the first woman in 58 years to start in a PGA Tour event as she competed in the Bank of America Colonial. She shot a 145 through the first two rounds, missing the cut, along with Sergio Garcia, Stuart Appleby, Geoff Ogilvy, among others. She told Golf Channel it was one of the highlights of her career.
MORE: Sam Snead remains the only man to win an LPGA event
Suzy Whaley
Event: Greater Hartford Open (2003)
Result: 75-78; Missed the cut; T-148th
Quotable: "The response from the fans was overwhelming," Whaley told the Hartford Courant. "They cheered for me on every single shot, whether I missed it or hit green they were cheering for me. It keeps you going; it keeps you moving forward. I credit the fans with helping me get through that round because they kept a smile on my face all day."
Whaley qualified for the Greater Hartford Open by winning the Connecticut Section PGA Championship but she was waffling on whether or not to compete in the tournament, she told the Courant. It was ultimately one of Whaley's daughters who convinced her, perhaps unintentionally, to play.
"One night while I was reading a book to Jennifer," Whaley said, "telling her how important it was to work hard and always to try your best, she looked up at me and asked, 'Why aren't you playing?'"
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Event: Los Angeles Open (1938)
Result: 81-84; Missed the cut
Event: Los Angeles Open (1945)
Result: 76-81-79; Made the first cut, missed the 54-hole cut
Event: Tuscon Open (1945)
Result: 307 total; Made the cut T-4nd
Event: Phoenix Open (1945)
Result: 77-72-75-80; Made the cut; 33rd
Babe Didrikson, pictured in the center of the photo above, became the first woman ever to enter a PGA Tour event when she entered the 1938 Los Angeles Open and she was paired with George Zaharias – her future husband. Remarkably, as good of a golfer as she was, golf wasn't even her best sport. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 1932 Olympics in track and field events.
Zaharias is the only woman to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.
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