Lexi Thompson Playing In PGA Tour Event Should Be Celebrated, Biological Men Competing Against Women Should Never | Mark Harris

Lexi Thompson is teeing it up in this week's Shriners Children's Open. That makes her the seventh woman to ever compete against the men on the PGA Tour. Thompson receiving a sponsor's invitation into the event is a testament to not only her as a player, but for the Tour's acknowledgment and promotion of gender equality while simultaneously bringing more exposure to women's golf.

While Thompson making the cut in Las Vegas and becoming just the second woman to ever play the weekend in a Tour event would be quite the story, what she's accomplished by simply playing in the event is far greater.

It may be cliche, but it's true. Thompson playing in a PGA Tour event sends the message to every female golfer that the game of golf, even at the highest-level in the world, is for girls too.

Anything you can do, I can do too.

Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols wonderfully put things into perspective:

"For a kid, watching a woman compete in a man’s world hits differently. Maybe a little girl sticks with golf even when she’s the only girl because of Thompson. Maybe a little boy invites a girl to play in his group because he watched a woman play on the PGA Tour."

Lexi Thompson is the seventh woman to compete in a PGA Tour event. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

It's the same message Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie presented to the world when they teed it up on the PGA Tour during their playing days, yet it may be more important today than ever before.

Most people - those who possess common sense and general decency - subscribe to the reality that female athletes deserve every opportunity male athletes do. Thompson playing in a PGA Tour event for the same prize money every man in the field is competing for is just one example of that.

Lexi Thompson Is Growing Women's Sports While Some Men Are Hurting Them

There is one key aspect to take note of, however. Girls vs. boys is not the same as boys vs. girls, not when we're talking about athletes who have gone through puberty.

Co-ed sports when it comes to something like a six-year-old soccer league is one thing, but when boys and girls start developing into men and women, it goes from being cute to being wrong.

The majority of people around the world realize this and acknowledge it. But in today's society, it's the vocal minority that gets labeled brave and heroic. Some refuse to realize that biological men are taking opportunities away from biological females.

Ironically, that same vocal minority will applaud Thompson for playing in a PGA Tour event or that the U.S. Open in tennis awards equal prize money to men and women for example, but will see nothing wrong with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas competing and beating women like Riley Gaines in the pool, transgender cyclists dominating women's divisions, or a high school runner going from a nobody to a somebody after deciding he's going to race against girls.

Lexi Thompson is gifting girls around the world to dream big. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Transgender individuals have every right to compete in sports, but biological men have no place in women's athletics, period. If you believe in biology, then you must also believe that most males have a physical advantage over most females. Again, girls vs. boys is not the same as men vs. women.

Thompson competing against men on the PGA Tour is celebrating gender equality, equity, and showing women can compete on the exact same playing field.

A biological male who is trans deciding to compete against women diminishes accomplishments like Thompson's and damages the dreams of young girls who dream of becoming great athletes.

Follow Mark Harris on X @ItIsMarkHarris. You can also email him at mark.harris@outkick.com.