Natalie Gulbis is in paint, and not much else, for the SI Swimsuit Issue

There’s a school of thought which suggests that LPGA golfers should be judged not on their physical assets but by their prowess on the golf course, that objectifying and reducing women golfers to their appearance only … you’re not even reading this, are you?

Fine. Natalie Gulbis in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Right here. You’re welcome.

For those of you interested in more than just Ms. Gulbis, the SI Swimsuit Issue this year features something for the ladies, with Rafael Nadal, Michael Phelps and Chris Paul posing with Bar Rafaeli.

Maybe it’s just the fact that any eager 13-year-old with an Internet connection and a basic grasp of terms to feed into search engines can outstrip (ha!) the Swimsuit Issue 365 days a year, but the issue has descended into irrelevancy. Worse, you could make an argument that the issue does more harm than good for the female-athlete movement; let’s face it, guys aren’t going to be looking at Ms. Gulbis in the gallery above as a means of empowering her.

But hey, it’s February, it’s nasty, and there are men and women with bodies far better than the rest of us willing to pose. Perhaps we ought to just enjoy that and leave the hand-wringing about What It All Means for another day. Have at it, friends.

Devil Ball Golf – Golf – Yahoo! Sports