Augusta National Chairman shuts down LPGA stars playing Masters course

Augusta National Golf Club is one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world, but it does not host any women’s professional events.

Chairman Fred Ridley delivered his annual address Wednesday on the eve of the 88th Masters Tournament. He worked on many issues, including assisting with golf ball rollbacks and LIV Golf’s place in the sport.

She also shared her thoughts on whether the women’s tournament should be held at Augusta National.

“There are some fundamental problems with that,” Ridley said. “We were fortunate enough to find a way to have a junior tournament and a women’s amateur tournament around the Masters Tournament, and it seems like a really good fit.”

The club launched the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019, an international competition featuring 72 young women. However, the women will play 36 holes at Champions Retreat Golf Club and only the final round at Augusta National.

Amateur women are not going to destroy the course. There are no holes large enough to cause damage.

Since 2013, we have also held an annual junior tournament where children participate in a drive, chip and putt challenge. Both girls and boys participate in the event.

Women’s sports, like golf, are also becoming more popular. Some might think it makes sense to find a way to get LPGA stars to play on the Masters course.

But Ridley doesn’t see it that way.

“Given the fact that we are essentially a winter and spring golf course, given our season, it would be very difficult to host any type of tournament again,” Ridley said. “We’re not open in the summer. We’re not going to be able to play like we want to in the fall majors. We had one, one time, but Dustin Johnson worked really hard.”

The 2020 edition of the Masters was held in November due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Johnson won that year, setting the tournament scoring record at 20 under par. Although it wasn’t quite like the Masters Tournament in April, it was still a traditional tournament that fans love to watch intently.

Ridley explained why hosting one full tournament each year is all the club can do.

“There’s a really limited amount of time we can hold additional events,” Ridley said. “We will close in the third week of May. Then we will add an element of mystique and magic. We need to make sure that we really honor the mystique and magic of the Masters. Another golf tournament Please think carefully about holding the event.”

These comments from Ridley were discouraging. I find it offensive that amateur women are allowed on the course but professional women are not. What does that mean for the LPGA Tour? Will there be a weekend to work sometime in the spring?

The club has just admitted its first female professional player. Annika Sorenstam earned her membership at Augusta National in October of this year.

She became the seventh woman overall to gain membership.

When the news broke, it felt like things were moving in the right direction for the women’s game.

Ridley’s comments Wednesday feel like a step backwards. His words show how outdated Augusta National continues to be. “Mystery and magic” – shouldn’t women also experience it?

Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.If you want to know more about golf, please follow us. @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.