Linnea Strom, of Sweden, hits her second shot on the fifth hole during the first round at the LPGA CPKC Canadian Women's Open golf tournament, in Vancouver, on Thursday, August 24, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl DyckGina Izumi was in her first corporate job out of university and told a male colleague her boyfriend enjoyed hitting the links.
But most importantly, Izumi is working to build a corporate Canada where no woman feels excluded or put down because she hasn't learned to play golf -- still a heavily favoured pastime among the global business community, which uses the sport to lure in clients, sign deals and even identify future talent for promotions.
Roughly 65 women from 24 companies have joined sessions so far, but women and girls remain outnumbered among Canada's 5.8 million recreational golfers, making up 31 per cent of players, Golf Canada said. Vlooswyk saw many pick up golf during the pandemic because it was a safer sport to play as than something indoors or high-contact. It allowed them to spend time with loved ones, challenge stereotypes and reap career benefits.
"I'm a petite person and so I've generally not been very good at sports that require a lot of athleticism," said Farrukah.