Women Golfers Set New Standards For The LPGA
It used to be unusual to turn on the television and catch
coverage of an LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)
tour, but that?s not so anymore. Women are proving to be
quite adept at golf and an exciting sport to watch, and
networks and sponsors are catching on that people want to
watch these talented women play. Of this season?s 34 women?s
tournaments, only a handful won?t be televised.
The hottest golfer on the LPGA circuit right now is Annika
Sorenstam, currently the 2005 leader. Swedish-born Sorenstam
is only 34 and began playing golf at the age of 12. In 2004
she posted 16 top-ten finishes (including eight wins) in 18
tournaments, and earned a record-tying seventh Rolex Player
of the Year award, tying Kathy Whitworth for the most in
LPGA history. She was the first women?s player to earn more
than $15 million, and halfway through 2005 has already
earned nearly $1.6 million.
There are plenty of young women golfers following
Sorenstam?s lead, realizing that women can also excel in
what used to be known as a man?s sport. Players like
Michelle Wie, Brittany Lang, Paula Creamer and Morgan
Pressel are all beginning to make a name for themselves.
Creamer, a 2005 high school graduate, had already earned
more than half a million dollars this year alone by the time
she took her diploma.
Many of these young women are coming up through the ranks of
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, a developmental junior golf program
designed to not only teach girls the game of golf, but also
life values such as patience, respect, perseverance and
honesty. These girls are also learning to lead a
physically-fit lifestyle. More than 4,500 girls ages 7-17
participate at 181 sites nationwide.
This is an exciting time for women?s golf and an opportunity
for young players to make their mark in history.
Susan Hill is a nationally recognized golf fitness trainer,
CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. For
more information on golf specific nutrition, exercises or
stretches, visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com
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