Golf Clubs � History is made with Sex Op

A man who had a sex change made history with his golf clubs as the first transsexual to play in a female-only tournament.

Sex Change

All his life he said �something wasn't quite right'. And so, in 1995 he became a she. The Australian golfer went on to create history by swinging his golf clubs in the women's Australian Open - Mianne Bagger had had a sex change.

Making History

At the age of 37, Bagger made history with his golf clubs � never before had a transsexual played in a women's tournament.

She gave an interview to the Sunday Herald Sun newspaper. �It's a dream for me, I've been playing golf since I was eight,� she told them.

Friendship

Although Bagger said she felt other golfers were accepting and friendly, some women found it hard to accept her presence in the championship. In recent history, women have been struggling against the male dominated sport, and fought for the right to pick up their golf clubs and be acknowledged on the professional circuit. But Bagger was adamant that being a transsexual made her �one of the girls'.

�I have never been confronted by anyone and most don't consider it to be an issue,� she told the Herald. �To most people I am just another one of the girls out there playing. I have always known there was something different about me since I was young, we are born this way. You certainly don't go through surgery lightly.�

Men Only Golf Club

Australia is no stranger to making history when it comes to gender and golf clubs. Laura Davies was the first woman to play in a men's European Tour event when she teed off at the ANZ Championship in Australia .

Some felt she deserved to make history after her services to European women's golf; it is something of a triumph to break into the men only golf clubs.

But many male golfers aren't happy with women being invited to play in male tournaments.

Male golfer Vijay Singh said of Sorenstam's appearance at the Colonial tournament last year: �We have our tour for men, and they have their tour. She's taking a spot from someone in the field.�

Female Role Models

But if women are to make history with their golf clubs in the epic way Tiger Woods has, girls need role models. In the UK 60,000 boys are members of golf clubs, but only 4,000 girls are members � and they have a male-dominated history of the sport to contend with.

It's hoped that younger female role models will help do for women's golf what Tiger Woods did for men's � by dispelling the white, middle-class elitist image of the game.

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