Sullivan on Sorenstam

Here is an extented excerpt from Tuesday, May 27, 2003 Daily Dish:

THE SECRET OF ANNIKA'S POPULARITY: Yes, she's sexy. But the way in which the public rallied behind Annika Sorenstam's pioneering golf game was surely because of something else: she represented an old, pure form of feminism, a message that has been somewhat lost in the politically correct culture wars of the last decade or so. Sorenstam, after all, was not portraying herself as a victim of male oppression. She's a fabulously successful sportswoman, a wealthy celebrity, and happily married. She wasn't asking for special treatment in any way.
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And she's refreshingly free of political posturing. She's not aiming to be a feminist icon. She's trying to play golf as best she can against the best competition in the world. She is also not attempting to deny the obvious: that there are significant differences between men and women. The more we learn about the impact of hormones such as testosterone and estrogen and the deeper our understanding of evolutionary psychology, the clearer it is that some differences - in physical strength, subtle mental attributes, emotional temperament - can vary with gender.
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She's different but equal. Americans are far more comfortable with this kind of social message - and for a good reason. It's about integration, not separatism. It's about personal achievement, not group grievance. It's about merit, not complaint. It's about golf, not politics.
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I think Sullivan is right on here. In listening to sportstalk radio, his view seems most prevalent. Annika knew that making the cut would be tough and she went out there anyway knowing some might have glee at her falling short but in the end, the vast majority marveled at her grace under pressure.

One athletic friend of mine shared her views on Sorenstam and was supportive. She did make an interesting observation that sports are largely competitions where testosterone levels do confer advantage. However, she, the ever diligent sports fan, noted that shooting is one sport where men and women can compete on an even playing field.