Women’s event at Augusta long time in coming
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Augusta National continues to inch its way into the 20th, er, 21st Century.
The club that went nearly 80 years before allowing female members is now inviting its first female competitors. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur begins next year, a 54-hole event for top amateurs from around the world who will become the first women to play a tournament at the home of the Masters.
Fred Ridley, who took over as club chairman in October, said the new tournament will expand Augusta National’s goal to inspire young people, following in the footprint of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, the Latin America Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt competition for children.
He said the Augusta National Women’s Amateur was for a “segment of our sport that is ... vital to the future of golf.”
“We believe this event will have a long-lasting impact on the game,” Ridley said.
All this from a club, once headed by its cranky leader Hootie Johnson, that battled Martha Burk tooth and nail over its lack of female members starting in 2002. It got so ugly that The Masters dug in in 2003-04 and broadcast the whole tournament without corporate sponsors.
And it wasn’t until the fall of 2012 — a mere eight years ago — that the club invited its first women as members — former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore. The latest member is former USGA president Diana Murphy.
Ridley said the opening two rounds would be held at Champions Retreat in Augusta, with the final round moving to Augusta National on Saturday, April 9, extending the week at the Masters. The finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt would be on Sunday, followed by practice rounds for the Masters.
But the announcement caused one conflict.
The first LPGA Tour major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, typically is the week before the Masters in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The tournament invites leading amateurs, meaning they would have to choose between playing with the best on the LPGA Tour or a tournament with a final round at Augusta National.
“We have no intentions of competing or taking away from the ANA Inspiration,” Ridley said. “We think that to have one week where the future greats of the game and the current greats of the women’s game are all competing on a big stage, it’s just very exciting.”
Hosting an LPGA event certainly would have been the splashier play by Ridley. After all, the women have played U.S. Opens at storied tracks such as Oakmont, so hopefully that day is not too far behind.
But the winner of the event won’t get a green jacket, however.
“The green jacket certainly is an iconic part of the Masters,” Ridley said. “We plan to have a very distinctive award for the winner of this event, and we think in time that will become iconic. I can assure you it will be very, very nice.” With the AP Hideki Matsuyama, Patton Kizzire, Paul Casey Tiger Woods, Marc Leishman, Tommy Fleetwood Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson, Rafael Cabrera Bello 7:45-8:30 a.m. 8:30-10:30 a.m. 9:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m. 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. 11:45 a.m.-7 p.m.