I don’t understand what Vijay Singh and other men golfers are so concerned about.

Singh, who has since eaten crow a bit, said he hoped teen golfer girl sensation Annika Sorenstam missed the cut at the Colonial Invitation next week.

“She doesn’t belong out there,” he said. “What is she going to prove by playing? It’s ridiculous. She’s the best woman golfer in the world, and I want to emphasize ‘woman.’ We have our tour for men, and they have their tour. She’s taking a spot from someone in the field.”

First, as has been noted repeatedly, the PGA is gender neutral. It is not making an exception to let Sorenstam play. She’ll be hitting from the same tees, using the same clubs, playing the same game. The only equipment she’ll have that the men don’t is what she was born with.

So what’s the problem? That she’ll take a “man’s” spot? But the spots don’t belong to men or to women, but to the best players. Sorenstam is the best woman golfer in the world. Now she wants to see if she’s one of the best golfers, period.

I guess in Singh’s mind, golf balls aren’t the only balls that matter when it comes to competing on the links.

UPDATE: I was not aware that Sorenstam did not have to qualify for the tournament like the rest of the players. That changes things a little bit. Still, once on the links she’ll be playing by the same rules as everyone else.

I do think she should have to qualify like any other player, though.