Woman earns spot in PGA Tour event

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUTT - Suzy Whaley will enter the Greater Hartford Open, making her the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event. <br> <br> The 36-year-old golf pro from Connecticut earned a spot in the field by winning a qualifying event against men in September. <br> <br> ``I took a long time to make this decision,&#39;&#39; Whaley said Tuesday. ``I understand the historical implications of this decision, and the importance it has for women golfers.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> She qualified for July&#39;s tournament by winning the PGA Connecticut Sectional, the first woman to do so. She played from a forward set of tees, meaning she played a course 10 percent shorter than the men, at the Ellington Ridge Country Club. <br> <br> With her mother as her caddie, Whaley shot a 1-under 71 in the final round of the sectional championship in September to come from behind and win with a final total of 5-under 211. <br> <br> At the Greater Hartford Open, she&#39;ll have to play from the same tees as the men. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s a lot longer than I&#39;m used to playing,&#39;&#39; Whaley said. ``I&#39;m going to do it anyway. I&#39;m going to do it the best I possibly can, and that&#39;s going to have to be good enough.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Whaley played on the golf team when she went to the University of North Carolina and she has competed on the LPGA Tour. <br> <br> ``Suzy has notified the tour of her intentions to play,&#39;&#39; PGA Tour spokesman Bob Combs said Tuesday. ``As we&#39;ve said all along, if she chose to play we&#39;d be delighted to welcome here as a contestant, and we look forward to having her in the field at next year&#39;s event.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The GHO is July 21-27 at the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, where Whaley&#39;s husband, Bill, is the general manager. <br> <br> Without a sponsor, the future of the tournament was in doubt for much of the fall until organizers cobbled together enough support from corporate sponsors and the state to acquire the $4 million needed to stage the event. <br> <br> Whaley had until a week before the tournament to decide whether to enter. <br> <br> ``From the moment she qualified, we thought that it would be great to have a woman golf professional play in the GHO,&#39;&#39; tournament chairman Dan Baker said. ``She&#39;s a competitor and a player, and she can get the ball in the hole very well.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> When she earned the invitation, several PGA Tour players expressed support for Whaley. <br> <br> ``I think it&#39;s pretty cool,&#39;&#39; Tiger Woods said then. ``She went out there and she earned her right. She beat everybody in the field, and that&#39;s what you have to do.&#39;&#39;