Lorena Ochoa Would Be Willing to Play Against Men (Presumably Including Vijay)

Lorena Ochoa, the best women's golfer on the planet, wouldn't mind following in the footsteps of the LPGA's previous No. 1 player, Annika Sorenstam.

When a reporter asked Ochoa if she would play against a man, the Mexican said "I am not going to say no." "Perhaps we'll change direction," she added. "I am flexible. We are willing to look at something fun, and it could be fun to play a man."

In 2003, Sorenstam was given a sponsor's exemption to tee it up at the Colonial. She fired an opening round 1-over 71, but would miss the cut after a second round 4-over. Still, Sorenstam played well, particularly since she admitted to being "nervous all day" Thursday.

Her appearance wasn't without controversy, however. Vijay Singh was so excited about a woman competing on the PGA Tour that he got all "pre 19th amendment" about the whole thing:

"It's just different for ladies to play on the men's tour," Singh said. "It's like getting the Williams sisters to play (tennis) against a man, and they're far better athletes than she (Sorenstam) is."

Oh, and at the time, Singh said he would withdraw if he was paired with Sorenstam. Classy. To his credit, he later apologized, so there's that.

As for Ochoa, I'm all for her competing against whomever. Unlike, say, Michelle Wie, who has yet to be competitive on the LPGA, Ochoa has dominated the women's tour. I have very little trouble believing she'd be competitive against men, and that included Vijay. Especially if she catches him when he's yipping his way around the green.