FORT WORTH — The fathers' reactions were the most striking. You might have thought that the male fans who descended on the PGA Tour's Bank of America Colonial tournament here would share the resentment expressed by some of the professional male golfers toward Annika Sorenstam, the best female golfer in the world.
After all, pro golfer Vijay Singh told reporters he hoped she missed the cut and said she didn't "belong" here. Another pro, Brian Kontak, threatened to sue the LPGA unless it let him play in the U.S. Women's Open. Many commentators predicted she would not be able to keep pace with the men. At least for the first day, they were wrong.
But in this steamy city nearly choked with an estimated 180,000 visitors, almost no resentment was visible toward Sorenstam. Instead, among male fans -- particularly those with daughters -- there was a palpable sense of what can only be described as paternal pride.
"If I didn't have 3- and 4-year-old girls, I might not feel this way," said Tom Hargrove, a 34-year-old land developer who made the four-hour drive up from Houston. On the eve of the Colonial, he kicked back in a local bar, drank two Bud Lights and examined a cigar he was saving for later. "But I want to get some things autographed and give them to my girls, so they learn not to be intimidated."
Sorenstam's tenacity and discipline have struck a chord with white, middle-aged, upper-middle-class men who've come to Fort Worth to watch the annual tournament. For them, Sorenstam's mission has resonated in a way it couldn't with other female athletes, such as tennis star Serena Williams or U.S. World Cup soccer champion Mia Hamm. You see, Sorenstam is really good at Dad's game.
Changing views
Fort Worth Realtor Phil Patton stepped along soggy wooden planks thrown over muddy patches and said Thursday his attitude toward Sorenstam had tempered.
"Initially my ego was opposed to it, and then I thought about the night of my daughter's birth, and how I promised she would have every opportunity I had," he said, clearing his throat as he remembered his now-23-year-old vow. "So, it would be hypocritical of me not to support her." Patton's daughter, Army Sgt. Amber Patton, has just returned to Ft. Hood, Texas, from a tour in Iraq, and he said his positive feelings toward Sorenstam, 32, were "unexpected" but have arrived as he's counting his blessings.
