An amateur event at Augusta is a good start, but women's golf deserves more
Yesterday, while in a meeting, I received two calls from my father accompanied with voicemails and a text that read, “CALL ME.”
Expecting the worst, I immediately returned his call and when he answered he asked, “Did you hear?”
“No, I didn’t hear anything. What happened?” I frantically responded.
“There’s going to be a women’s amateur golf tournament at Augusta National next year!” he declared.
The pace things move around Augusta National, this is a leap forward
Read moreHe wasn’t the only one to share the news with me that day. My Twitter mentions were filled with joyful messages along the lines of: “Finally, women will be able to compete at Augusta!” My Facebook page was no different, and I even had people send me emails and direct messages on Instagram. Goodness, I felt really popular yesterday.
As a sports writer who focuses on gender issues in sports, and as a former LPGA golfer, this was welcome news. Augusta National Golf Club, which is 85 years old, did not admit women as members until 2012 (only three have joined since), and has pushed against the notion of hosting a women’s Masters.
So a quick glance at the news means that yes, the tradition-steeped Georgia club hosting a women’s amateur event is progress. To break it down, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship will be a 54-hole event, with the first 36 holes played at the nearby Champions Retreat Golf Club, and the final round to be played at Augusta.
Golf is ready for a women's Masters, even if Augusta National isn'tAnya Alvarez
Read moreThe field will be made up of the 72 of the best amateur women players in the world, and will take place the week before the Masters.
This is a great opportunity for young women golfers, but it’s not without a few immediate problems. The LPGA’s first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, typically takes place the week before the Masters. The ANA grants six exemptions to the best amateurs, which means these players would likely have to choose between playing in the LPGA’s first major or playing at Augusta. Second, it also means the LPGA will be competing for ratings.
Does this mean the ANA will have to change when it stages next year’s tournament? That has yet to be determined. But I’m sure it’s something that will be discussed or considered.
And I’ll admit, I want more.
I want to see the best professional women’s golfers tee it up at Augusta National. Women’s golf is exceptional, and should Augusta decide to host a professional women’s event, the ratings would prove profitable (LPGA viewership is increasing yearly). But it would also show that Augusta is committed to growing the game, as they so often claim.
The talent pool of the LPGA is deep, and continues to improve every year. Just compare the scoring average of the LPGA in 2000 to the 2017 season. In 2000, the leading scoring average was 70.049 by Karrie Webb. In 2017, Lexi Thompson’s scoring average was 69.114, with eleven other players averaging below 70. In addition, the courses the LPGA is playing now are longer and more difficult.
Because golf has been made more accessible and open to girls over the years, they’ve also been able to play competitively as long as their male counterparts, and have had the chance to develop and hone their skills at the same level.
This has made for better golf on the LPGA, and LPGA players, along with other top professional women golfers in the world, would benefit from Augusta supporting them by hosting a tournament.
Would there be an angry mob of stodgy guys upset about breaking “tradition?” Absolutely. Some people already expressed disdain for a women’s amateur event being held the week before because the course wouldn’t be in pristine conditions for the men. (Playing one round at Augusta will not impede on the conditions for the men, so simmer down y’all.) And some felt Augusta, under new leadership, was trying too hard be politically correct.
We are in a new era though, one touched by what my mother has dubbed the “Wonder Woman effect”. The consequences of not being more inclusive of women are greater than ticking off a group of people still stuck in the 18th century.
Maybe Augusta isn’t ready to make the leap yet. But it’s possible that this women’s amateur event will eventually lead them to hosting a professional women’s tournament. I’m a hopeful person, and to be honest, I never imagined that a women’s event would take place at Augusta National any time soon.
With that in mind, I’ll keep my fingers crossed and start working on my swing. I want to be ready, just in case.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/apr/05/womens-masters-augusta-national-golf-club-amateur
Expecting the worst, I immediately returned his call and when he answered he asked, “Did you hear?”
“No, I didn’t hear anything. What happened?” I frantically responded.
“There’s going to be a women’s amateur golf tournament at Augusta National next year!” he declared.
The pace things move around Augusta National, this is a leap forward
Read moreHe wasn’t the only one to share the news with me that day. My Twitter mentions were filled with joyful messages along the lines of: “Finally, women will be able to compete at Augusta!” My Facebook page was no different, and I even had people send me emails and direct messages on Instagram. Goodness, I felt really popular yesterday.
As a sports writer who focuses on gender issues in sports, and as a former LPGA golfer, this was welcome news. Augusta National Golf Club, which is 85 years old, did not admit women as members until 2012 (only three have joined since), and has pushed against the notion of hosting a women’s Masters.
So a quick glance at the news means that yes, the tradition-steeped Georgia club hosting a women’s amateur event is progress. To break it down, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship will be a 54-hole event, with the first 36 holes played at the nearby Champions Retreat Golf Club, and the final round to be played at Augusta.
Golf is ready for a women's Masters, even if Augusta National isn'tAnya Alvarez
Read moreThe field will be made up of the 72 of the best amateur women players in the world, and will take place the week before the Masters.
This is a great opportunity for young women golfers, but it’s not without a few immediate problems. The LPGA’s first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, typically takes place the week before the Masters. The ANA grants six exemptions to the best amateurs, which means these players would likely have to choose between playing in the LPGA’s first major or playing at Augusta. Second, it also means the LPGA will be competing for ratings.
Does this mean the ANA will have to change when it stages next year’s tournament? That has yet to be determined. But I’m sure it’s something that will be discussed or considered.
And I’ll admit, I want more.
I want to see the best professional women’s golfers tee it up at Augusta National. Women’s golf is exceptional, and should Augusta decide to host a professional women’s event, the ratings would prove profitable (LPGA viewership is increasing yearly). But it would also show that Augusta is committed to growing the game, as they so often claim.
The talent pool of the LPGA is deep, and continues to improve every year. Just compare the scoring average of the LPGA in 2000 to the 2017 season. In 2000, the leading scoring average was 70.049 by Karrie Webb. In 2017, Lexi Thompson’s scoring average was 69.114, with eleven other players averaging below 70. In addition, the courses the LPGA is playing now are longer and more difficult.
Because golf has been made more accessible and open to girls over the years, they’ve also been able to play competitively as long as their male counterparts, and have had the chance to develop and hone their skills at the same level.
This has made for better golf on the LPGA, and LPGA players, along with other top professional women golfers in the world, would benefit from Augusta supporting them by hosting a tournament.
Would there be an angry mob of stodgy guys upset about breaking “tradition?” Absolutely. Some people already expressed disdain for a women’s amateur event being held the week before because the course wouldn’t be in pristine conditions for the men. (Playing one round at Augusta will not impede on the conditions for the men, so simmer down y’all.) And some felt Augusta, under new leadership, was trying too hard be politically correct.
We are in a new era though, one touched by what my mother has dubbed the “Wonder Woman effect”. The consequences of not being more inclusive of women are greater than ticking off a group of people still stuck in the 18th century.
Maybe Augusta isn’t ready to make the leap yet. But it’s possible that this women’s amateur event will eventually lead them to hosting a professional women’s tournament. I’m a hopeful person, and to be honest, I never imagined that a women’s event would take place at Augusta National any time soon.
With that in mind, I’ll keep my fingers crossed and start working on my swing. I want to be ready, just in case.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/apr/05/womens-masters-augusta-national-golf-club-amateur