From The Australian
\nLink: http:\/\/www.theaustralian.news.com.au\/story\/0,20867,21111838-23213,00.html<\/p>\n
\n* By Josh Massoud
\n* January 25, 2007<\/p>\n
MIANNE Bagger is a long way behind the player with the best credentials at next week's 2007 Australian Women's Open.<\/p>\n
But when it comes to attention and curiosity, she is certain to be eyeballing superstars Karrie Webb and Natalie Gulbis at Royal Sydney.<\/p>\n
After undergoing a sex change in 1995, Bagger accepts it's par for the course for people to discuss her personal life ahead of her game.<\/p>\n
But despite launching into the spotlight after forcing European and Australian associations to change their eligibility rules, Bagger remains frustrated.<\/p>\n
Speaking exclusively to The Daily Telegraph yesterday, the 39-year-old Aussie said \"negative stereotypes\" continue to haunt her three years after creating a global precedent.<\/p>\n
\"There's so many negative stereotypes surrounding this issue and it makes life so much more difficult,\" Bagger said from Perth, where she is fine-tuning her game ahead of next week's tournament.<\/p>\n
\"It's happening slowly. It's not something that's going to happen within a year or two. The world of sport needs to acknowledge natural diversity.<\/p>\n
Bagger's main gripe is over \"poor terminology\" that follows her.<\/p>\n
She gets particularly upset at being branded a \"transexual\", pointing out the term applies to a medical condition.<\/p>\n
\"It's like calling someone a cancer,\" she said. \"The correct word is 'transitioned'.\"<\/p>\n
Back on the Ladies European Tour (LET) after regaining her full card last year, Bagger insists other female golfers have \"no issue\".<\/p>\n
She added yesterday that some of her rivals possess higher testosterone levels, yet remain free from scrutiny.<\/p>\n
\"I've been lucky that at least I've been allowed to compete professionally, although I'm still not satisfied with the conditions,\" Bagger said.<\/p>\n
\"Other women on tour have higher levels of testosterone and no-one seems to be concerned about them.<\/p>\n
\"When (American teenager) Michelle Wie hits a 300-yard drive, everyone says 'Oh wow'.<\/p>\n
\"When I hit a 250 yard drive people get worried.<\/p>\n
\"At the moment sport is conditional and people are made to feel like outcasts.\"<\/p>\n
Bagger accepts openness has cost her sponsors in the corporate world, which she believes is \"the most conservative pocket of society\".<\/p>\n
The chronic money shortage will see her tee-off with three-year-old clubs next Thursday, and Bagger knows there's only one way to get a set of new ones.<\/p>\n
\"I've just decided to start playing good golf,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"I've stopped watching my swing on video - I just want to feel what the club face is doing. It's improving and so is my confidence.\"<\/p>\n
An eight-under round at the NSW Open and a second placing at the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic in December have Bagger poised to let her golf do the talking this week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","topic-tag":[],"class_list":["post-408","topic","type-topic","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tgr.net.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic\/408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tgr.net.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tgr.net.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/topic"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tgr.net.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic\/408\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tgr.net.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"topic-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tgr.net.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic-tag?post=408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}