Golf: So many causes...

Annika Sorenstam has got more guts than I do.

Arguably the best woman golfer in the world, she is risking at becoming the laughingstock of the PGA Tour when she tees it up for the Colonial on May 22nd.

And for what? What really is at stake here? Does Sorenstam honestly think she can compete on such a demanding course, with the top golfers in the world and not to mention the pressure of being the first woman to compete with the guys since Babe Zaharias?

Whatever Sorenstam's expectations are the fact remains that the PGA Tour plays a different brand of golf than the LPGA Tour, it will take a miracle of biblical proportions for Sorenstam to win the Colonial.

Maybe Sorenstam's motives are far simpler than everyone thinks.

The disparity between the LPGA and PGA Tours when it comes to money is astounding. As of May 12, 2003, the leading money winners are Se Ri Pak of the LPGA and Davis Love, III of the PGA. Where one has made $562,900 and the other has made a mere $3,787,712.

I'll give you one guess on who made what.

Sorenstam is taking advantage of a great business opportunity and it's hard to blame her for acting in her best interest. But how will Sorenstam fare at being The Bank of America's(tournament sponsor) equivalent of a show monkey?

Oh, did you think a huge corporate sponsor gave Sorenstam the exemption in the name gender equity?

No, they gave it to her because they want the press exposure comparable to that of a Major Championship which equates to more money for the Bank of America.

It's pretty simple if you think about it.

Now, players like Vijay Singh are speaking out on a tournament that will eventually become a side show to the main attraction.

"What is she going to prove by playing? It's ridiculous," said Singh, a two-time major champion who is No. 7 in the world ranking. "She's the best woman golfer in the world, and I want to emphasize 'woman.' We have our tour for men, and they have their tour. She's taking a spot from someone in the field." (Associated Press)

There are so many questions surrounding this event. It will take some time to sift through the aftermath and determine what the historic significance, if any, really is.

If Sorenstam makes the cut and posts a respectable showing, then the PGA Tour probably won't see a sudden influx of women at Monday qualifiers and Qualifying-School because we are talking about one of the elite women golfers in the game.

However, a lot of people also want to see Sorenstam fail, and fail miserably, and go back to the LPGA Tour with her proverbial tail between her legs.

If there is an upside to Sorenstam's decision it is that the topic of gender equity and discrimination will be raised for intelligent debate before and after the tournament.

Whether they like it or not, the athletes of the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour are embedded in the social and cultural fabrics of our everyday lives.

Golf has become such a huge phenomenon around the United States and the world that it would be careless to take a laissez-faire stance on pressing issues that affect both the sports world and our regular lives.

Sorenstam may not be teeing up for women's suffrage, but when she hits that first tee shot, she will already have scored an ace for a lot of people, whatever their own causes are.