Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of Hockey HOFer Wayne Gretzky and fiancée of golfer Dustin Johnson, appears on the cover of Golf Digest's May issue "in white yoga pants and a matching sports bra," according to Karen Crouse of the N.Y. TIMES, who writes under the header, "Golf Digest's Cover Spurs Criticism From LPGA Pros." Eleven women since '69 have appeared "alone on the cover" of the magazine, but the last LPGA winner to "appear on the magazine's cover" was Lorena Ochoa in '08. Besides Gretzky, the "only woman to be given sole billing on the cover without having won a pro or major amateur event" is Golf Channel's Holly Sonders in May '13. SI model Kate Upton also "posed alongside Arnold Palmer in December's issue." No. 3-ranked female player Stacy Lewis said, "It’s frustrating for female golfers. It’s kind of the state of where we’ve always been. ... Obviously, Golf Digest is trying to sell magazines. But at the same time you’d like to see a little respect for the women’s game.” Golfer Juli Inkster added, "It’s frustrating because it’s Golf Digest; it’s not Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue." But Golf Digest Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde, who approved the cover, said, "Paulina ranks at the high end of the golf celebrity scene today, and she has a compelling story to tell" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/4). Meanwhile, golfer Angela Stanford said that the cover "didn't surprise her." Stanford: "The question is who are they trying to sell to? If the answer is men 25 years old through 45 years old, then I guess that's what they have to do. You know the old saying, sex sells. And nobody can argue with that. It's just the way it is. But the LPGA has some attractive women and very fit women, so why not use them? I'm just baffled by it" (ESPN.com, 4/4).
