When the LPGA, the women's professional golf tour, came through Seattle last month, hardly anybody--even in the sports pages--noticed. But brace yourself for the hoopla that will accompany Seattle's next megasporting event when one of the four biggest men's golf tournaments, the U.S. Open, comes to the Eastside in summer 1998.

Golf is hot these days. The big reason is young phenom Tiger Woods. Woods, in addition to being young, pretty, and extremely good, is born of Thai and African-American parents in a sport that's been bastion of upper-class, whites-only segregation.

In his success, Woods is being hailed as a civil rights pioneer, a Jackie Robinson of golf, a force for racial equality. He's also--unlike Robinson-- gotten very rich very quickly, both from golf winnings and a $40 million endorsement contract with Nike. Nike's not dumb--the part-Thai Woods, making $109,584.04 per day hawking its shoes, is a powerful counter-image to Southeast Asian women making them for pennies an hour. Just as Michael Jordan's millions are a powerful counter to African-American kids spending their net worth on a pair of Nikes.

Tiger, not surprisingly, doesn't care about Nike's exploitation. But he also apparently doesn't care about segregation. Turns out his home practice course, the Lochinvar Golf Club in Houston--which, not too long ago, didn't admit people with his skin color--still doesn't admit women. Women not only can't join, but women who work at the club are required to stay out of the sight of men. And a female CNN producer who showed up to interview him was denied entrance. Woods' comment? "I can't be a champaion of all causes." Translation: "I got mine."

For a full list of causes Woods can champion, check with his broker. Now there's a civil rights hero for the '90s. We miss you, Jackie.