Is The PGA Ready For A Gay Golfer?

It was once joked that "golf" was an acronym for "gentleman only, ladies forbidden." This is definitely not the case anymore. Not only do millions of women play golf, but the LPGA Tour has a history of openly gay women comprising a portion of its membership.

In fact, it was rumored that a few years ago the LPGA made it a mission to change the public perception of the LPGA Tour from a venue for many lesbian women, to more of one for "straight, all-American" girls.

In recent years, there has been noticeably more media attention on the stereotypical, "straight-looking" female players, possibly leading many fans to perceive women's golf as being more of a straight sport. While the perception may have changed, the fact remains there are still many openly gay women on the LPGA Tour.

From golfers to athletes
Professional golf is big business, and in some respects, it's also "show business," and we all know show business is full of gay men. So, why have we not seen an "out" player on the PGA Tour?

Gay men are usually masters of taking the "boring" and making it fabulous, but this hasn't been the case with golf. In the '90s, many straight touring professionals began hiring personal trainers, public relations managers and health care specialists. The once overweight, oddly dressed golfer was replaced with a new crop of young, talented athletes competing each week for millions of dollars of prize money, as well as tremendous amounts of endorsement dollars.

So where are the gay men?
Thirty-six weeks of the year, PGA Tour players visit amazing resorts, travel the world and enjoy the highest levels of hospitality. They are healthy young men maintaining their bodies, donning classic clothing and working with specialized personal trainers on a daily basis -- to many of us, this would be a dream way to spend the work week.

The PGA Tour currently has over 200 members. Applying the 10 percent rule, there should be at least a few gay men on the PGA Tour, but none of them are out. As more gay athletes are coming out, few sports remain as straight as men's professional golf.