Way OT: Kulick wins PBA Tournament of Champions
Kelly Kulick won one of the four PBA majors yesterday, the Tournament of Champions. Why on earth would I consider a bowling tournament postworthy? Because Kulick is the first woman to win a PBA tournament, and picked a major to do it. AFAIK, besides auto racing, the PBA is the only professional sport that allows open competition regardless of gender, but it is still mostly a men's tour.
Kulick actually earned her way on to the tour at qualifying school a couple of years ago, but didn't finish high enough on the money list to keep her card. For her to win a major or even make the TV finals of one is a groundbreaking accomplishment.
The closest comparison I can make to any other sport is that it would be like Paula Creamer winning the British Open or Danica Patrick winning Indy.
Anyway, congratulations to Kelly Kulick.
And I promise not to make any more bowling posts unless they have something to do with The Big Lebowski or the UM team.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:38 AM ^
Except it's bowling.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:04 AM ^
She must have balls of steel.
January 25th, 2010 at 7:01 AM ^
balls of reactive-resin
January 25th, 2010 at 6:28 AM ^
Poker
Cheerleading
Golf
Pro Wrestling
January 25th, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^
The unfortunate (or fortunate) thing is that many people wouldn't even qualify these activities as sports or athletic events in the first place.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:07 PM ^
Check your sarcasm meter? I think that was the point.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:34 AM ^
It's a great accomplishment, no doubt, but it's nothing like Creamer winning a major on the PGA tour. Bowling is one of the sports that doesn't change (much) between genders. The courses for major PGA tournaments are far more difficult for men than they are for women. Until women can consistently hit a golf ball as far as men, it will be difficult for any woman to win a PGA event, let alone a major.
January 25th, 2010 at 7:49 AM ^
a woman winning would be the British Open, for the same reason Tom Watson almost won it at age 59. With those damn links courses it's more about accuracy, dealing with wind, low shots, etc. Although it's still a longshot since the shot distance between men and women is still huge, I think across the pond would be Creamer's best chance.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:05 PM ^
The reason I picked the British Open is that, like the lane conditions at the Tournament of Champions, it neutralizes the power player and brings in other factors. They might seem quite different, but both bowling's ToC and golf's British Open require strategy, finesse, execution, and a little bit of luck.
At the British Open, a power player can still win if it sets up for him correctly, but he can't make a lot of mistakes. That is why the power players who have won the British Open are players like Woods and Nicklaus, who can execute with the best, have brilliant course strategy, and are/were masters of the short game, especially putting.
The outlying John Daly will have to be qualified as a fluke, but his "strategy" was fine and he did handle the "bump and run" and putting extremely well. I hate to say this, but Daly putted a lot better when he played drunk. He was supposed to have had two of the "softest" hands on tour with the flatstick. I wonder if alcohol will be banned as a "performance enhancing drug?"
January 25th, 2010 at 11:42 PM ^
I disagree that bowling doesn't change much between genders. Yes, they often use the same equipment, but that is seen in golf, track, skiing, and various other sports. They bowl on the same lane conditions, but track, basketball, soccer, and others all use the same fields or conditions.
Much like all these other sports, it comes down to human physiology which sets the two genders apart. At the highest level of any sport, the gap is smaller, but it still exists. Few women bowl (I have seen plenty at the college level) the same way a man can in terms of rev rate, speed, and hand position. I have never seen a women bowl like Pete Weber or Tommy Jones. I doubt I will see it at least in my lifetime. Don't forget the physical toll that it takes to make the tv finals of any tournament. I don't think Kulick had an exemption, so she had to go through qualifying, then match play, then make the cut.
What she accomplished Sunday is at a minimum equal in significance to what Creamer or Danica Patrick have accomplished in their respective sports.
January 25th, 2010 at 10:18 AM ^
While I congratulate Kulick; did anyone catch her giving the trophy to her mother who was in attendance after the big win? Her 70-80 yr old mother responded with a big smile and her raspy voice, "I'll be able to use it as an ash-tray." I know it’s bad to say but I have to admit I chuckled quite a bit when I heard that.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:22 AM ^
It's not very often that you do see a woman winning a men's championship in any sport, so this is definitely worth noting.
It's good to see accomplishments like these because it shows how much progress women have made in sport, coming into their own. They might not be as competitive or truly athletic as men, but they are showing that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything.