Opinion | Jordan Mixed Open to make golf history with first male and female tournament – but battle of the sexes is nothing new
- In a groundbreaking move, players from the European Challenge Tour, Ladies European Tour and Staysure Tour will battle for one trophy
- Can we still have a bit of fun when it comes to men and women competing against each other?
On April 4, 123 male and female professional golfers will tee-off in the Jordan Mixed Open.
However, unlike all other golf tournaments, there will be no gender divide. Instead, players from the European Challenge Tour, Ladies European Tour and Staysure Tour (senior men) will all participate in the same stroke play event, to take place in Aqaba, Jordan on the shores of the country’s southern coastline.
Players will tee-off from different yardage, which equals things out when golfers get to the green, and there will be one leader board and one eventual champion.
The fact that this type of tournament, the first of its kind according to the European Tour, is taking place in Jordan, a place the Human Rights Watch organisation called women’s rights “discriminatory” is a bit odd to say the least. Yet, when breaking new ground, why not swing for the fences?
This is nowhere nearly as groundbreaking as the European Tour is making it out to be, but it is notable and will be interesting to watch. Men and women have competed together in multiple sports like tennis, badminton, figure skating and against each other in sports like equestrian and sailing, but when it comes to many sports, pitting them against one another is illogical.