50 years of Title IX — Jennifer Kupcho KMPG Quotes — Must-click women’s golf links
By Addie Parker
The IX: Golf Thursday with Addie Parker, June 23, 2022
It is a privilege to have the 50th anniversary of Title IX fall on Golf Thursday. 37 words, that initially were meant to equalize academic opportunities, used the guise of sports to reshape history for girls across the U.S. and the rest of the world.
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“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972
On this day we recognize just how much Title IX has impacted the lives of young girls and women. Pre–Title IX, nearly 300,000 girls and 30,000 women played high school and college sports; today, participation has jumped to more than 3.4 million girls and 215,000 women.
Research over the last 50 years, has also seen an overwhelming amount of evidence to support that girls who play sports growing up do better in school, and have fewer health problems as they grow older.
We read those 37 words over and over. No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
And yet, we aren’t upholding the meaning behind these words.
Trans kids and trans women are viciously being attacked when it comes to sports, and their rights, protected by Title IX, are being violated. Just earlier this week, the governing body of competitive swimming, FINA, announced that the participation of transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions and create a working group to establish an “open” category for them in some events as part of its new policy. The development of an ‘open category’ is a band-aid on a much larger issue, and the wound will only continue to get infected if we continue ostracize trans people in sports.
It’s all the same fight. If we allow the governing bodies of sports organizations to threatened trans women, then cisgendered women are now vulnerable because these discriminatory acts are reducing femininity to simple biology — when it’s everything but simple.
Like so many other kids, growing up in sports developed my identity. It’s how I learned about my own mind, my body, how I socialized, and it gave me something to do. Why take that away from trans kids?
In pre-Title IX days, women’s sports and the advocacy for them were deemed a threat to men’s sports. It was assumed that less male participation would happen once they welcomed more women…newsflash…the exact opposite happened. Participation for men AND women grew. Uncharted territory can cause fear, but we cannot allow fear-based discrimination come at the expense of violating LGBTQ+ rights.
So as we celebrate 50 years, we need to remind ourselves of what’s at stake — 50 years wasn’t a long time ago. We’ve accomplished a lot, but we still have ground to cover. I don’t have the answers, nor can I tell the future, but we can lean on our activists and pioneers and follow their lead on never, ever being satisfied.
“The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have
The Olympic Charter
the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any
kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.“
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This week in women’s golf
If you have links you wish to share for Golf Thursday, sources for golf news, or want to talk about anything at all, you can email me at addieparker25@gmail.com ! Discussion of any kind is always welcome…I mean it…MESSAGE ME!
LPGA News
Another major week is locked and loaded…are you ready?
To start off this week’s links, I’m focusing y’all on key players in the field and why you should be on the lookout.
5 players to watch at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Meet the PGA/LPGA Professionals in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Field
The biggest news to come out of this week has got to be the purse this week. Since last year, the purse has increased by 100%!!!!! The memo from the Commissioner went out and it RUMBLED through the grounds at Congressional. Read all about how it spread like a wild fire amongst players.
Congressional is a mere two hours away from me, but I’ll be watching from home, here’s the deets on how to do that: TV and streaming coverage of the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship.
LET News
The Ladies European Tour season continues this week with the 16th event of the 2022 calendar and heads to Beroun in the Czech Republic. A field of 130 players from 29 countries will tee it up at Golf Club Beroun in a 54-hole stroke play tournament from June 24-26.
EDGA player profile: Daphne Van Houten – Tough Love And Second Chances
Epson Tour News
This week’s Epson event is the Island Resort Championship in Harris, Michigan. The 156-player field for concludes its two-week swing in the Great Lake State from June 24-26 at Sweetgrass Golf Club. Individuals will compete in a 54-hole stroke-play format for $212,500 and a winner’s share of $31,875. A cut will be made to the top-60 competitors plus ties after 36 holes. FOLLOW THE LEADERBOARD HERE.
I love when the Tour gives a glimpse into players lives and their stories. Player profiles on Sarah White and Allie Knight gives us insight on how these women got to where they are and just how badly they want to succeed at their dreams!
NCAA News
The college scene has been quiet but it’s the ‘offseason’! Here’s is the Golfweek 2021-22 women’s college golf All-Americans list!
Other News
My inspiration for today: Billie Jean King on the struggle for gender equity continues—in sports and beyond
This week’s major being backed by the PGA of America is kinda cool. We get a glimpse at PGA WORKS Beyond the Green Shows Young Women They ‘Got Next’ in the Golf Industry
Five at The IX: Jennifer Kupcho at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Ahead of today’s first round at the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship at Congressional, the media caught up with fresh winner (from last week) and Chevron champ Jennifer Kupcho!
THE MODERATOR: We’re here with our most recent LPGA Tour winner, Jennifer Kupcho. Welcome to the DMV. Jennifer, you come here off a big week last week at Meijer. How much of a confidence boost is that come into this week’s third major of the year?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: It’s definitely good confidence. I think hitting the ball so well last week is really important. Especially coming into a major. On these greens they’re all kind of compartmentalized. It’s definitely important to hit the ball well.
THE MODERATOR: Before we come to this week, I mean, that was just a heck of star power at the top of that. Look at that playoff, yourself, Nelly, Leona, Lydia, Lexi playing well, Brooke playing well. Yet, you’re the one who came through with the win. I know they say sometimes the second win is harder than the first. Does it feel good to get another win and to say, I’m here?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I think it’s definitely special to get the second one. I kind of felt like I was going downhill after the first one, so to be able to get that second one is super special. Especially with everyone that was up there. I mean, best players in the world, and there’s the same amount of best players out here this week, too.
THE MODERATOR: Absolutely. Now we’re here at Congressional, which has a new look. Don’t know if you have done any scouting or watched it back when Rory won. You were very little. What do you think about this course? You mentioned compartmentalized, but it’s big and a major beast out there.
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I think the golf course is definitely a real test. It’s very difficult out there. I think it plays really long and, yeah, again, the greens are very big, but very undulated. Being on the correct portion of the green is definitely important.
THE MODERATOR: This will be my last question before I open to Q & A. Big announcement yesterday from KPMG, PGA of America doubling this purse. Certainly you got a big paycheck when you won your major earlier this year, but even more to come. How exciting is it for you to see this opportunity now for you and your fellow players?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I think it’s great for women’s golf. All of the purse raises that we’ve had, it’s really special to have PGA and KPMG come up and do the same. I know we’re all really excited for it.
Q. As you look back to this time ago last year when you were chasing that first win, now with two really nice wins under your belt, what do you feel is the biggest difference in you as a player?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: I think just confidence. I mean, obviously, chasing a win is a lot different than having them under your belt. You have a lot more confidence when you are in contention to be able to actually follow through and win.
Q. Where would you see the state of the game is from American women’s perspective? Obviously, you and Lexi and Nelly rank in the Top Ten. Do you see a time where maybe American women can dominate this sport like they do in other Olympic sports, like basketball or swimming, whatever, track and field, whatever it is? Or is the game just international for that to be the case?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I think for sure we’re definitely trending that direction more so than even when I first came out here. I think there’s a lot of great American players right now.
Q. I was just curious, now that there’s only two players on TOUR that have won more than one title this year, you and Minjee, now that you have the second one. Have your goals or your thoughts on this year in general changed at all? Are you thinking about player of the year? Maybe you already were.
JENNIFER KUPCHO: No, not at all. (Laughing). I think, honestly, I just go into every tournament trying to play my best, but I mean, obviously, I know my parents are thinking about that, but it definitely is not really crossing my mind at all.
Q. What is crossing your mind in terms of what you would like to see or how you would like to see the rest of the season unfold for you?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: I honestly don’t have any goals like that. I think that’s one thing that I’m really good at is not thinking so far ahead, and I just think about the tournament that I’m playing in at that moment.
Q. If I could just ask one more. Focusing on the tournament you’re playing in, what do you like about this golf course? Do you find that it suits you well?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I think I really like the challenge of it. I think that it’s going to be a really good test of golf, and certainly the best player is going to come out on top, and it’s definitely going to take a lot of mental preparation and patience.
Q. You mentioned the challenge of the course. What do you feel is the most difficult aspect of Congressional from what you have seen so far?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: All of it. (Laughing). I think probably the greens, but I mean, that also relates to hitting shots into the greens as well as putting and short games. A lot of it.
Q. Is there a certain shot that stands out as one of the hardest approach shots or tee shots on the course?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: I can’t think of just one. I think one specific hole that’s definitely going to be a pretty good test is No. 9. We’re not used to long par-5s like that that you are forced play a three-shot hole.
It’s essentially becoming a par-4 with an extra shot in it because you’re not going to be able to hit less than a 9-iron into it. I think that’s definitely super interesting and something that will be new.
Q. Have you found a good layup area? Alison Lee was saying it’s tricky with those slopes before the green.
JENNIFER KUPCHO: It’s the luck of the bounce, honestly, and the club you’re hitting. If you are hitting a lower club, it’s going to roll out a lot, and you could end up going all the way down the hill, which is not where you want to be. Yeah, the top of the hill is pretty much where you want to be, but you’re going to have 150 to the front.
Q. You talked about, obviously, the confidence that comes from getting that second win. I mean, let’s be honest, you weren’t really happy with your ball striking on Saturday and Sunday. You ground out that win.
As you come to a golf cost that’s as difficult as Congressional, I mean, how much does that boost your confidence and your ability to kind of grind out those really low numbers?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: After playing Saturday and Sunday, I mean, struggling on the range as well, coming here and struggling on the range trying to figure it out, I think it definitely makes me more comfortable knowing that I can scramble and still make out scores.
I did figure it out earlier this week, so hopefully I don’t have to do that, but yeah.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for your flexibility, and we will see you tomorrow, Jennifer.
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Thank you.
| Mondays: Soccer |
| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
| Tuesdays: Tennis |
| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
| Wednesdays: Basketball |
| By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The Next |
| Thursdays: Golf |
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