- Title: AUSTRALIA: TRANSEXUAL MIANNE BAGGER PREPARES FOR GOLF TOURNAMENT
- Date: 1st March 2004
- Summary: SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (MARCH 1 AND RECENT, 2004)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (FEBRUARY 26, 2004) 1. MIANNE BAGGER WALKING ON GOLF COURSE 2. BAGGER EXERCISING 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BAGGER SAYING: "There are a lot of misconceptions about, in my case being a transsexual woman, of having unfair advantages in sport and being stronger and hitting the ball further, which is just simply not the case. I can't blame people for their opinions and what they've been saying because why would people know any different? " 4. BAGGER TEEING OFF DURING PRACTICE SESSION 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BAGGER SAYING: "After surgery there's nothing left in our bodies that produces testosterone anymore. So the way my situation is now I have less testosterone than the average levels for women in society, and as a result of the decreasing testosterone I also have a decrease in muscle-mass and a loss of overall strength. And basically after surgery that's permanent." SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MARCH 1, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6. GENERAL VIEWS OF COURSE 7. VARIOUS WOMEN G0LFERS PRACTICING 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SALLY HAMERSLEY, PRESIDENT OF WOMEN'S GOLF AUSTRALIA SAYING: "Well it really started in South Australia in the late nineties when two women who had originally been men wanted to play pennants, and the sexual discrimination laws in South Australia dictated that if they weren't allowed to play then their could obviously be some legal implications and we realised these women could well go on to represent their state or they could be involved in our game so we looked into it and came up with a policy that would cover the situation. It was as you said very progressive and the IOC have since followed it up." 9. VARIOUS GOLFERS PRACTICING FOR OPEN 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KAREN LUNN, AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL GOLFER SAYING: "Before I actually found out a few of the facts I did have a problem with it, but actually I believe there have been quite a few studies done about this topic and I think it's fair to say she hasn't any advantage over the girls strengthwise anymore. So I've no problem at all with her playing." 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARDI LUNN, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER SAYING: "I have no opinion but if she is good I would like to beat the guys as much as beat the women. But she is a women now so as far as I am concerned let her play." 12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CARLIE BUTLER, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER SAYING: "There are a lot of people who don't know Mianne as well as I do and have never seen her play golf but I can tell you she just plays like a normal girl like she doesn't hit it any further than I do and I have never once felt intimidated by her. I think that it is great they are actually giving her a chance as that's what she really wants to do so I hope she does well this week cause I know there is a lot of pressure on her." 13. VARIOUS GOLFERS PRACTICING MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (FEBRUARY 26, 2004) 14. BAGGER HITTING BALL 15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BAGGER SAYING: "I don't hit the ball as far as I used to and my game is no different to any of the other girls out there. If I want to play well, finish well in a tournament I've got to play some damn good golf." 16. BAGGER WALKING WITH GOLF CART 17. SOUNDBITE (English) BAGGER SAYING: "I can play this one tournament in Australia, that's the only one. In Denmark there are a few pro-ams there's no other tournaments at this stage I can play in. So where it goes after the Open I'm really not sure. I just have to see what comes as a result of the Open whether people will at least start discussing the issue." 18. BAGGER HITTING THE BALL Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th March 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
- Country: Australia
- Reuters ID: LVA493FE5EU4DB1WVRSYK816WXSW
- Story Text: Contestants preparing for the Women's Australian
Open golf tournament are unfazed about playing alongside
the first ever transsexual pro golfer.
Danish golfer Mianne Bagger, who has lived in
Australia since 1979, will create a world-first when she
competes in the Women's Australian Open in Sydney next week.
Bagger, who started playing golf with her father at age
8, had sex-change surgery in 1995.
She played amateur golf at the state level from her
home town of Adelaide in South Australia from 1999 to early 2003.
After turning professional in August 2003 she recently
moved to Melbourne to train for the Australian Open, a
long-held dream. "This is my first professional golf
tournament and it's
one of the biggest in Australia, with a big media
contingent, with extra focus on me as well because of my
circumstances, so I really don't know how I'm going to
handle it but I'm just trying my best to make sure I can
focus on my game."
Her participation in next week's event is possible
because it's being run by Women's Golf Australia (WGA), one
of the very few golf associations in the world that will
allow transsexuals to compete.
WGA introduced regulations three years ago to allow
transgender players to compete once they have completed
surgery and have proof of "post-gender reassignment".
Contention over transsexuals playing professional sport
stems from concerns that their previous gender may give
them an unfair advantage.
"There are a lot of misconceptions about, in my case
being a transsexual woman, of having unfair advantages in
sport and being stronger and hitting the ball further,
which is just simply not the case," she says.
"I can't blame people for their opinions and what
they've been saying because why would they know any
different?"
"The best I can do is inform people, give them some
facts, explain things, why I don't have an advantage, why I
don't hit the ball further."
Bagger says gender reassignment is a long process which
as well as surgery involves hormone therapy, part of which
includes taking testosterone-inhibiting drugs.
"After surgery there's nothing left in our bodies that
produces testosterone anymore. So the way my situation is
now I have less testosterone than the average levels for
women in society, and as a result of the decreasing
testosterone I also have a decrease in muscle-mass and a
loss of strength. And
basically after surgery that's permanent."
It's a process that changed the style of her game.
"I don't hit the ball as far as I used to and my game
is no different to any of the other girls out there. If I
want to play well, finish well in a tournament I've got to
play some damn good golf."
Bagger has said it is her dream to win an Australian
Open, but outside that tournament there are few options for
her as a professional golfer.
"I can play this one tournament in Australia, that's
the only one. In Denmark there are a few pro-ams there's no
other tournaments at this stage I can play in. So where it
goes after the open I'm really not sure. I just have to see
what comes as a result of the open whether people will at
least start discussing the issue."
Bagger hopes her appearance at the tournament will help
to demystify the issue of transsexuals playing professional
sport. Another controversy that has touched golf recently is
the issue of women playing in men's tournaments.
While she agrees it's good publicity for the game,
Bagger says women should earn their right to play.
"I think if it's something that does continue maybe
might lead to change that if women do want to compete maybe
they should go through qualifying scores and earn a place
at the events like the guys do."
The AAMI Women's Australian Open will be held in Sydney
from March 4th to 7th.
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