Is Maria Verchenova Claiming Sophie Sandolo's Spot As Sexiest Euro Golfer?

"I always try to dress more sexy than the others," Maria Verchenova told Golf Punk magazine some time ago.

"I always like to bring something extra special to the golf course, so if I’m wearing sexier, more stylish stuff like a shorter skirt or a nice tennis-style dress and people notice then great," she added. And when asked if she would rather be a great golfer or a sexy woman, her reply was "I'll settle for both, thank you."

She's definitely talented in both regards -- Verchenova is a professional model and a talented golfer on the Ladies' European Tour. A quick Google search for her can reveal as many pin-up photos as her in action on the golf course, and naturally plenty of cheeky commentators call her a "golf babe," a "golf diva" and other similar terms.

Sounds like Sophie Sandolo, doesn't it? But where is Sadolo these days? She seems to have disappeared after splashing into the American golfing scene last year, which is surprising, considering that both her game and awareness of her in the world's largest golfing market was a stock rising quickly.

According to her website, Sophie experienced several injuries and had to stop playing late last season and part of this one, and news of her is hard to find -- except when it comes to comparisons of Verchenova and herself in various European newspapers.

That's too bad -- I was quite impressed with Sophie (pictured in her calendar, right) as a golfer and as a person when she was on Golf Channel's Big Break Kaanipali. She handled the game within the game well, refusing to let the other competitors get inside her head and derail her chances. Her Gallic atttitude was in full effect, and quite honestly, there is no one quite like a French-Italian woman when it comes to playing head games. Sophie didn't initiate the games, but she won them 10-and-8 when it came to her competitors on that show.

Ultimately, Sophie came in second in the competition, but she acquitted herself quite well and proved that she definitely was not a cheesecake model turned golf poseur. It also wasn't because she was psyched out, it was because her game the final day was not the better one. In defeat she handled herself with grace, and at the time, I thought it a near certainty that she would get sponsor's exemptions into American tournaments and that there she would make a regular place for herself on the course.

As for Verchenova, she may be the more talented of the two, she's placed well in a few LET events and may well break through with her first win sooner rather than later. As for which is prettier, well, that's for your own tastes, but I'll say that neither hurt the eyes.

As for those of us in America, here's hoping that we see both teeing it up in LPGA events soon. After all, if the ladies can enjoy watching Sergio and Camilo, we fellows can enjoying watching these two stroll down the fairways too.