The Great Pay Equality Open, aka The Vic Open, came to an end on the other side of the world, Down Under early Saturday.
This great social experiment where the men and women receive the same purse was a laugher when you look at what the purses actually turned out to be.
Both winners — David Law on the men’s side and Celine Boutier on the women’s side earned the equivalent of $176,500 each. That’s not even first place money on a Web.com Tour event and is even low for an LPGA event.
Thus the no-name field.
Anyone out there ever heard of David Law, the flying Scotsman? He’s basically a Sunshine Tour grad looking to make a name for himself on the European Tour and despite the flimsy check, this will help him. He shot 18-under par to edge Brad Kennedy and Wade Ormsby, two Aussies, by a shot. The men’s field was flooded with guys from the home nation because, well, they didn’t have to spend a lot of money traveling to this one.
If you were looking for a big name on the men’s side — forget it.
Same for the women.
Celine Boutier from France? Hardly a household name, maybe even in France. She shot eight-under to win by two over Sarah Kemp (Australia), Charlotte Thomas (England) and Sue Oh (Australia). Same thing for the women, no big names. Hey, Cheyenne Woods missed the cut!
Which brings us back to this format of men and women at the same location, same pay, same everything except quality of play.
Thanks but no thanks, the European Tour can keep this one.
4 Comments
baxter cepeda
This event just makes me think how good it would be for everyone if the pga tour involved itself a lot more with womens golf.
I loved coverage jumping back and forth. I loved the location allowing fams to roam free. Yes the purse hurt the field quality, although Ill take everyones golf in that field over half the field at pebble, especially the parts actually shown on tv.
This event is also powerful much like the web.com tour. These pros are all in their own journeys, amd as golf fans we apprecuate that a lot more than Tom from Toms PR game.
Just imagine something like this with all the top players. A newly minted as commish monahan even hinted to Lerner that the women could soon play Kapalua with the men. That would be so nice conpared to making these poor ladies pretend they love a pro am with baseball and football players, silly artists and so on.
Tom Edrington
No, no, a thousand times NO…it would be a total dilution of the PGA Tour product and behind closed doors The Sheriff of Nottingham aka Jay Monahan, would say the same thing.
baxter cepeda
How is the best women a dillution over the cable guy? And were. It even talking him carrey.
U may have a point inna full field mens pga tour event like the genesusi this week. BUt kapalua toc would be more entertainmemt with the ladies added.
Im not saying every week. But theres no doubt pro womens golf is improving all the time, celebrities games never change.
Tom Edrington
It’s all about the money, even ISPA Handa went on the cheap for the so-called mixed event, sponsors won’t put up big bucks for an event like the one in Australia that was basically Web.com level guys playing with second-tier women….simple as that. Sorry Baxter, we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this.