'Wow these girls can play’: sex integration in professional golf (Pre-published)

Abstract

Men and women typically operate in separate spaces in the sporting world, with sport being one of the few social institutions that continues to segregate the two sexes. The culture of golf, like sport more broadly, is widely regarded as male-dominated, despite women’s involvement in playing the sport throughout history. Typically, women’s participation has not been welcomed nor taken seriously, and golf cultures have normalised exclusionary and discriminatory practices towards women. However, golf is one sport space where sex integrated practices can and do take place, due to both the handicapping system and the distinctions between tee boxes to cater for men and women competing together. There have been instances in the professional game of women competing in men’s tournaments; in May 2018, the Men’s European Tour invited 5 professional female players to compete in its GolfSixes event in England. This paper draws upon interview data with those 5 players on their experiences of competing against men. Initial findings shed light on the complexities of sex integration in a sporting domain, highlighting a balancing act between the subversion of gendered norms and a reinforcement of them. There was evidence of the sportswomen themselves negating the potential for the subversion of gendered hierarchies by perpetuating understandings on the ‘naturalness’ of sex differences. However, the women were also found to be advocates for equality, positioning themselves as spokeswomen for professional women’s golf having proven themselves in a male sporting arena.