Golf is considered to be a male sport. This stereotype, for example, is strongly supported in films where high-status men drive around on freshly cut grass in funny miniature cars and proudly brandish clubs. Luckly, it is just a stereotype, now golf is a sport which has a lot of successful female athletes which are as popular among those who bet just as men. However, it was always like that.
How did everything start?
In the 1860s, respectable young ladies had very few opportunities to do outside the home. Croquet, archery were some of their games. Many of these young ladies’ fathers, husbands and brothers were members of the Royal Golf Club and came to spend the summer in St. Andrews. At first, the girls could play on a small section of the caddy field, but soon they got a separate field with some restrictions in game.
The first tournament took place in 1867 with the first prize – a gold medallion and the second prize – a silver brooch. Both of these prizes are still in the possession of the club and are drawn annually. With time this hobby has outgrown into womens’ desire to play on the same level as men, but complete equality was far from being reached. Obviously, betting on sport at that time was a rare thing not to mention womens’ sport.
Women who have changed golf
Margaret Abbot became the first ever womens’ golf Olympic medalist without even knowing it. The thing is that at that time the organization of the Games was very irresponsible and sometimes the athletes did not even realize that the competitions in which they took part were Olympic. So it happened with Margaret.
Until 1932, it was not often possible to find a woman’s name on the list of great athletes, but everything changed with the appearance of the young Mildred Didrickson on the international sports arena. In the 1950s, she deservedly became the most famous golfer in the history of golf, and the Associated Press declared her the best female athlete of the first half of the century. At that time betting on women in this sport started. It was not official, but still there were people who were eager to place a bet.
Nancy Lopez first picked up the stick at a very young age, and at the age of 12 she won her first amateur tournament – the New Mexico Women’s Amateur Championship. Just 8 years later, she won the LPGA Championship – the same one founded by Babe Didrickson and Patti Berg in 1950 – with a stunning newbie result. Then all sports critics started talking about her, predicting a brilliant career for her. By the way, in the same year she won 8 more tournaments, which confirmed the words of the experts.
Why should you bet on female golf?
Modern female golf is now on the rise, with a lot of professional athletes on who you can bet. As any sport it has top players and are likely to win. Women’s golf is as exciting as men’s and there is enough data to analyse for making winning bets.