Golf needs glamour boost, says Rawson

Dubai: Australian pin-up Anna Rawson believes the bodies governing women's golf must follow precedents set by tennis and inject glamour into the sport to make it more lucrative for the players.

While tennis has its Sharapovas and Ivanovics, women's golf, too, boasts some truly gorgeous women, such as Rawson, England's Melissa Reid, Americans Natalie Gulbis, Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer, and Frenchwoman Sophie Sandolo to name a few. And Rawson thinks it highly unfair that, unlike their tennis counterparts, who earn almost as much as the men, the prize money reserved for women golfers is paltry in comparison to what goes home with their male equals.

Long way to go

"I think the glamour aspect associated with women's golf is just great for the game and the sport definitely needs it. Women's tennis is doing fantastic because of it," Rawson told Gulf News following a practice session for the Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club.

"They [women tennis players] get paid the same amount of money as the men, while we are 10 times behind the men in golf, so we've got a long way to go and if we can use glamour or whatever else to get up there, then it's fantastic."

The 27-year-old also feels the Ladies European Tour should focus on hosting an end-of-year tournament similar to the United States LPGA-conducted ADT Championship, which brings the season's top performers together.

"The LPGA has something like that with the ADT championship and it's a lot of fun to have a season-ending event that you have to qualify for. The LET does have the New Star Money List so that's a kind of bonus pool, but any kind of end-of-the-year event is always very exciting. Everyone looks forward to coming to Dubai, so it would be good to have it here."