PGA Tour professionals are shaking right now. In fact, they are downright scared silly and it’s not because of this week’s World Golf Match Play Championship or the upcoming Masters Tournament or the return of Tiger Woods.

PGA pros are having nightmares every evening because in nearly three months, they will be staring a cold, dark reality in the face. They might lose to a girl!

LPGA superstar Annika Sorenstam has announced in late May she will compete with the men in The Colonial tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. However, it’s the reaction that could be considered less than positive for the most elementary of reasons; the greatest of which being she might actually play well.

Us guys all remember how middle school recess became our own personal hell when our friends witnessed us lose to a girl in anything. It didn’t matter what it was, if you lost, you were branded for life. C’mon, we were kids and didn’t know better. Well, golf is still similar to a playground atmosphere for spoiled adult males who also don’t know better. This is why the entire world may be putting incredibly too much pressure on Sorenstam to carry the torch for the LPGA and all of womenkind for that matter. She has made it very clear she’s doing this to challenge herself.

Nobody can say Sorenstam wasn’t smart with her choice of where to play. The par-70 and 7,080 yard course demands accuracy, and nobody hits the ball straighter than Sorenstam male or female. The fact she’s not playing a long course like Pebble Beach will help her succeed. The problem will be that the LPGA’s best player averages 265 yards off the tee which would rank close to 200th on the men’s tour where players use barely legal rocket launchers off the tee. Therefore, the Swede will be forced to hit 2-irons and 7-woods into most greens.

The fact remains unless Sorenstam posts two scores in the high 80’s and finishes in last place, she’ll finish higher than somebody and nobody wants to be that guy.

The No. 2 ranked golfer in the world Phil Mickelson said it best when he predicted Sorenstam will definitely finish in the Top 20. However, things got interesting when Lefty was asked how he would do. Mickelson answered with, “I hope 19th or better.” Notice Mickelson didn’t say “I expect to win the tournament.”

Two things are very poignant about Mickelson’s statement – No. 1, PGA pros are in favor of Sorenstam playing as long as it doesn’t effect their reputation.

No. 2 – There will definitely be a tournament within a tournament. The person who takes home the trophy on Sunday and the people who can rest easy by finishing ahead of Sorenstam. At the very least, they won’t have to hear jokes about them in the locker room the next week.

The top player in the world, Tiger Woods, was quoted as saying, “it will only be great for women’s golf if she plays well, if she puts up two high scores, it will be more detrimental than good.”

The sad part is El Tigre’ is correct.

In all honestly, I have no idea how Sorenstam will do at The Colonial, but I do have a fear. If she does well, it will be a great victory for all of golf.

My fear is she might play poorly, because the stereotypes and jokes about male domination will continue. The fact is kind of attitude is what continues to turn people away from the game and it doesn’t need to exist.