Women’s Open Golf: Sophie Sandalo Is Less R&A Than T&A

WONDER what Graham Brown, a member of golf’s Royal & Ancient rules committee, makes of the British Women’s Open at St Andrews?

Brown’s speech at the Association of Golf Writers’ annual dinner in the R&A tent at Carnoustie featured jokes about “Nips” and “all Japanese looking the same”, a tale of a black taxi driver delivered in a Deep South accent and a story about two disabled golfers.

He did never mention women. Although his speech did follow a toast proposed by the former BBC golf correspondent Tony Adamson which included a joke about a player punching his wife in the mouth.

These insights into life in the golf club was followed by a few words from Martin Kippax, the chairman of the R&A’s championship committee who added: “Graham Brown is a very good golfer; he’s a very knowledgeable individual with regards to the rules of golf.”

So that’s all right then. If only Saddam Hussein had had a decent swing and Hitler played off four.

And now the Women’s Open is getting underway. But the Mail says these doyennes of the greens are not dressed in Comfi-Slax, sensible shoes and Y-fronts. Not all of them.

The Mail has looked over the agonists’ calendars. (What else do you do in August when they are offered at a discount?)

Writes Sophie Sandalo: “My first sexy calendar is intended to represent my love for golf, my desire for freedom and a touch of coquetry, and I am instinctively attracted by fashion, elegance and glamour.”

Ms Sandalo is teeing off in black stockings, matching basque and a pair of black wings. Her shoes are heeled and liable to pit the greens.

She will be taking on Natalie Gulbis. She is clad in a white bikini. She is blonde and plays off sand on a sun-kissed beach.

This is what female golfers look like. This is the new stereotype. Less G & T than T & A…

Game on…

Anorak

Posted: 2nd, August 2007 | In: Back pages Comments (3) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink