Davies eyes historic feat

We examine both sides of the argument for women receiving invites to play in men's tournaments.

As publicity-grabbing stunts, the appearances of Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie against the men provided interesting and often heated talking points.

But after Laura Davies becomes the latest female star to take on the men - and she deserves the chance to make history after her services to European women's golf - let's call a halt.

That certainly seems to be the view of some of the game's top male stars.

That these women can play is in no doubt, but some players feel that whether they make the cut or not is missing the point.

They argue there are hundreds of male players out there with a living to earn.

World number three Ernie Els said: "We can't keep on giving them [women] invites if there are guys good enough to get sponsors' exemptions."

Australian legend Greg Norman said: "I personally don't think it should happen. I think it's a marketing ploy more than anything."

Michelle Wie missed the cut by one shot in the Sony Open in Hawaii

Increased publicity might please the sponsors, but what about the players?

European Tour rookie Jamie Elson admitted to being "frustrated" that he can't get into any early-season co-sanctioned events with his lowly exemption status from the Challenge Tour.

For players like him, and all the journeymen who have done the hard yards to qualify for the Tour, every available place in a tournament is like gold dust.

Only the top 116 automatically retain their European Tour cards at the end of the season, and the difference between success and failure could come down to a few pounds.

Vijay Singh said of Sorenstam's appearance at the Colonial tournament last year: "She's the best woman golfer in the world, and I want to emphasise 'woman'.

"We have our tour for men, and they have their tour. She's taking a spot from someone in the field."

Girls' golf, in the UK at least, is in crisis.

While there are 60,000 boys who are members of golf clubs, there are just 4,000 girls.

In the last 15 years alone, the number of golfers under the age of 25 has dropped by almost a third - more among women.

Golf has a problem attracting women into the game. Nobody knows exactly why.

What all the governing bodies are agreed on is what a powerful motivational tool role models can be.

The sight of 14-year-old Michelle Wie battling up the home stretch attempting to make the cut among the men in Hawaii was magnificent.

To be brutal, golf needs the likes of Wie - a slim, athletic and attractive teenager - to supplant the image of the likes of Laura Davies - 40 and fast declining.

In the same way that Tiger Woods single-handedly helped blow apart golf's fuddy-duddy elitist image, so Annika Sorenstam and Wie are giving women's golf a much-needed facelift.

Those who argue against the likes of Wie playing in a men's event say they are taking income from a male professional who has qualified to play.

But every tournament includes golfers who have not qualified, invited by their sponsors or the event.

They say women should first have to qualify to play on the men's tour.

The Catch 22 is that were any female golfer ever to be able to do that - Wie has says she wants to try - they need the chance to test themselves at the higher level without having to cut loose from the security of the women's tour.

And that is the hidden agenda here.

Critics of Wie and Davies' presence at men's events are deeply uneasy at that prospect. They ask 'Where will it end?'. The answer is, who knows?

Women already compete on a level playing field against men in other sports where skill is as important as strength - such as showjumping.

So why deny them the chance to try in golf?

Especially if in the process they inspire thousands of other youngsters to take up a game that still struggles more than any other to shake off its white, middle-class and elitist image.