Barbie
‘I love the fact that people know me for who I am, for all that I am. I don’t have to hide anything and I don’t have to be careful with what I say about myself ….no fear of giving anything away. What this means to me is indescribable..’
Mianne Bagger
At the 2004 Women’s Australian Golf Open, Mianne made history, becoming the first transsexual woman to ever play in a professional golf tournament. Bagger hit 84 on the first day and 74 on the second. One can assume that the media frenzy on the first day could have contributed to her poor first round and was cut after her second round tally of +14. The ever progressive European countries have welcomed Bagger to compete on their tours; however the US PGA, which has a strict ‘must be born as a woman’ ruling, is far less tolerable to change. Mianne has played on the Swedish Telia tour and the Ladies European Tour.
There are no clear guidelines, and in some sports medical evidence is required to prove women’s gender, but a man just needs to show his passport. What defines a women in sport?