Augusta National Expands its Membership to Include Women

Augusta National Expands its Membership to Include Women

Did Augusta National get it right today?  You bet they did.  Finally the all male club asked two women to join the club that everyone wants to know more about.  Condoleezza Rice, the former Secretary of State and Darla Moore, a financier in South Coralina  were both invited to join Augusta National. 

In 2002 Martha Burke, Chairwoman of the National Council of Women’s Organization sent a letter to then Chairman Hootie Johnson questioning the membership policies of the club and why women were not invited to join.  At the time there was a protest that Burke organized during the Masters Tournament to bring these membership practices to the forefront of the public conversation.

Billy Payne is the Chairman who facilitated this change.  Payne has done his job well to keep Augusta National in the conversation around the water cooler especially when the actual tournament is in April.  You are going to read many thoughts about this action and most all of them will be positive.  In an age of Title IX in sports it is a shame that the PGA Tour couldn’t expand their pressure on Augusta to take this step sooner.  Surely nobody wants to anger the event that everyone needs on their schedule and wants an invitation to play in. 

Kudos to Sergio Garcia for winning the Wyndham Championship today.  He just might make the Ryder Cup with that win..