The Professional Golf Association has a reputation of being conservative. A little too conservative if you ask me.

It has a long history, but sadly, it seems to be stuck in it.

It’s not hard to see the PGA’s conservative nature. Golfers, always clad in slacks and collared shirts, strive to wear the Masters Tournament’s green jacket or the Colonial’s famous plaid jacket. No gaudy championship rings here.

A few years ago, Casey Martin had to go all the way to the federal appeals court in California to get his chance to play in the PGA. A rare circulatory disorder in his right leg prevented him from playing a round of golf without using a golf cart. The PGA does not allow golf carts and did not want to change its rules. All Martin wanted was a chance.

Last week, a PGA tournament finally let its conservative guard down. Annika Sorenstam will play in this year’s Bank of America Colonial May 19-25 here in Fort Worth, becoming the first female in 58 years to play in a PGA tournament. Like Martin, she wants a chance to find out how she rates against the PGA’s top professionals.

And she’s doing it on just the right course. The Colonial is shorter than most PGA courses, 7,080 yards with only two par-5s. She will not be hitting from the ladies’ tees, either. But that should not be a problem. She hits a drive an average of 265.6 yards. Even PGA professional Corey Pavin does not average 260 yards on his drives.

Phil Mickelson says Sorenstam can finish as high as 20th place. He adds, however, that he hopes he can finish 19th or better.

But I hope he doesn’t. What’s so wrong with losing to a woman — especially this one? Sorenstam has 42 career victories and four career majors. Tiger Woods has 35 career wins. This year, Sorenstam has 11 LPGA wins and 20 top 10 finishes. Mickelson has yet to win a major.

Some say this will tarnish the PGA, creating more of a media circus than a memorable event. Some wonder why Tiger does not play in the LPGA. Because he can’t. The LPGA is just for women. It may surprise you that the PGA is not just for men. It has the right to invite anyone it wants to play in its tournaments. Before Sorenstam, Babe Didrikson Zaharias was the only woman to receive an invitation.

What took so long?

Woods, who hasn’t played in the Colonial since 1997, says it is great that Sorenstam is playing. But he also adds that two high scores in Sorenstam’s PGA debut will do more harm than good for women’s golf.

How can that be? Just by accepting the invitation, she has already helped her sport. A talented athlete, who doesn’t get the attention she deserves in the LPGA, will now be put in a more deserving national spotlight. It may be just for a week and it may be the last time for years that the PGA will do something like this but it is still an opportunity that didn’t exist two weeks ago.

Millions of people will be watching Sorenstam. She will take advantage of her chance in TCU’s own backyard. Little girls, in tiny Titlest hats, will be glued to their televisions dreaming about playing with Tiger instead of just making it to the LPGA.

Where’s the harm in that? While it is a long shot, I hope Sorenstam can win Colonial’s plaid jacket. Maybe she can wear it with a skirt.

Kelly Morris is a junior news-editorial major from Arlington.