 A gale in a (golden) glass of water?NCWO wants Augusta's membership open to
ladies
By urging Augusta National Golf Club to have female members before next year's
Masters" in a letter dated 12 of June 2002, Martha Burk, chair(wo)man of National
Council of Women's Organizations (6 millions members in 160 different groups), opened a
new front in the American women' lib's media history. Adding acts to words, she directed
her first attack to where it hurts the more: the sponsors (Coca-Cola, Citigroup, IBM) to
discourage them to continue supporting discrimination to any group, including women.
A war of words was declared and nowadays American golf writers are on the spot to catch,
hear and report every word, every opinion concerning that very special battle, counting
points like boxing jury.
- Our membership only decides…
Augusta National is a special club. Built on a former
nursery in north-eastern Georgia, opened in 1932, created by amateur Booby Jones from
Atlanta. Curt Sampson, author of the book "Augusta National" writes : "it
is still a secret society." Besides hosting the most famous tournament, the club has
been a retreat for many: golf fans, business kings, presidents like Eisenhower who had a
residence on the grounds, or Reagan or Bush who played it.
The Masters, created in 1934, is a special tournament. It has become the most famous golf
championship in the world and it gets the highest television ratings.
In April, before the Burk's statement, William "Hootie" Johnson, the "only
voice of Augusta", has had the opportunity to say that Augusta National does not have
exclusionary membership policies, although it not have a black member until 1990 and, as
Burk points out, has not had a female member in its 70-year history.
But while there are no female members, more than 1,000 rounds have been played by women at
Augusta at members demand. Karrie Webb and Kelly Robbins from the LPGA Tour and the
University of South Carolina women's golf team, played during the last Spring time.
"There may well come a day when women will be invited to join our membership, but
that timetable will be ours, and not at the point of a bayonet". And to be as clear
as possible to Ms Burk and her fans, he added:
"Our membership alone decides our membership".
- Not a trophy for a display case
Burk suggested that if Augusta National does not have
female members, the Masters should move to a club that does.
``The Masters, in my mind, is not tied at the hip to this club,'' she said. ``An event of
this profile could be held somewhere else.''
Even if it is known that "men propose and women dispose", such a desire could be
difficult, even impossible to realize, moreover before the next Masters.
So Johnson draw the line between the privacy of the club Augusta National and the public
event of the Masters tournament which is attended by some 40,000 people and watched on TV
by million viewers around the world. Augusta operates the Masters independently from any
other organization such as the PGA Tour. Most of its money comes from an annual TV
contract with CBS (see here under the position of CBS) and sales from its souvenir store
at the course. Weekly tickets cost $125, half the cost of other major golf championships.
``Augusta National and the Masters -- while happily entwined -- are quite different,''
Johnson said. ``One is a private golf club. The other is a world-class sports event of
great public interest. It is insidious to attempt to use one to alter the essence of the
other.''
So that the pressure is on Augusta National Club itself: "The message delivered to us
was clearly coercive" said Johnson. "We will not be bullied, threatened or
intimidated. We don't intend to become a trophy in their display case".
- Pressure on sponsors
As Burk said, she sent letters to the main sponsors,
Coca-Cola, IBM and Citigroup : "We know that the sponsors of the Masters do not want
to be viewed as entities that tolerate discrimination against any group, including
women…".
``We are sorry, but not surprised, to see these corporations drawn into this matter,''
Johnson said. ``Augusta National is NCWO's true target. It is therefore unfair to put the
Masters' media sponsors in the position of having to deal with this pressure. ''And Club
chairman Hootie Johnson notified IBM, Citigroup and Coca-Cola that the Masters ``will not
request their participation to shield them from the controversy.''
``This year's telecast will be conducted by the Masters Tournament,'' Johnson said in a
statement. ``We appreciate everything our media sponsors have done for us, but under the
circumstances, we think it is important to take this step.''
The Masters already was the least commercialized tournament in golf, void of corporate
tents and exhibitions at Augusta National. Its deal with CBS Sports allowed only four
minutes of commercials each hour. The decision will make the Masters, which traditionally
has the highest ratings in golf, the only commercial-free telecast in sports.
- and pressure on TV and TV
watchers!
As an escalation after a campaign of interviews, Dr Burk released a
letter sent to CBS to "suspend broadcasting of The Masters Golf Tournament in 2003 if
the Augusta National Golf Club continues to discriminate against women by excluding them
from membership." And the letter adds : "The tournament is an event that is
produced by and held at a facility owned by a for-profit corporation that is flaunting its
practice of sex discrimination".
The Sports manager from CBS answered rapidly : "I very much appreciate you sharing
your position on CBS Sports' broadcast of the Masters," McManus wrote to Burk.
"However, as a sports television programmer serving millions of men and women who
eagerly anticipate and avidly watch the Masters broadcast each year, CBS will cover the
Masters as it has done for the last 46 years. To not do so would be a disservice to fans
of this major championship. Please do not hesitate to stay in touch with our organization
on issues you feel of importance."
Dr. Burk is now telling individuals what to watch on television. But in three online polls
conducted in the fire of the controversy, nearly 90 percent of respondents said they would
continue to watch the Masters on CBS and over 4.3 million women watched the Masters last
year.
- What's next?
Along with targeting players, Burk said she might also
talk to companies whose logos are carried by players on their hats, shirts and bags --
such as Buick (Tiger Woods), KPMG (Phil Mickelson) or Nike (Woods, David Duval).
But, among a series of talking points sent to the network, Augusta National writes :
"the club possibly will have a woman member in the future, but it should be the
club's decision, not the decision of an outside group that knows little about the club or
the tournament."
." All-male is not the fundamental nature of Augusta: women have been seen on the
course and in the dining-room and Mamie Eisenhower lived for years in the cottage build
for his husband-President. So the idea would now be to open the membership to… wives.
Seems to be a gale in a golden glass of water. Isn't it?
And a wrong battle for the defense of women rights around the world. |
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What the players think :
"Go to Afghanistan"
Martha Burk called for players to take
"a moral stand" on the case but her campaign for female members isn't getting
much support.
- Tim Finchem : In a letter to the National Council of Women's
Organizations, PGA Tour commissioner said the Tour has no contract with Augusta National
and no plans to change its relationship with the Masters.``It is recognized around the
world as a major championship ... and is a significant part of the structure of
professional golf,'' Finchem adds : ``We have concluded that we must continue to recognize
the Masters Tournament as one of professional golf's major championships.''
- Nancy Lopez who won 48 tournaments, including three LPGA championships
in 25 years on the tour, has played Augusta twice with a member. She said she doesn't mind
Augusta National's long-standing policy prohibiting women from becoming members.``You
know, I hate that has come up because I have always respected the tradition at Augusta,''
Lopez told the Albany Herald. ``And it was never a tradition of male or female to me, it
was always just tradition.'' - ``I don't feel women have to go join Augusta because it's
really not a man-woman issue.'' Lopez said. ``I don't feel like there's discrimination
there.''
- John Daly said he is staunchly opposed to clubs that don't allow women
but, ``if I got into Augusta, I would play. It's a major. Women protesting it shouldn't
take it out on us for playing in it.''
- Tiger Woods has been misunderstood and critized when he said at the
British Open that he would like to see female members at Augusta and he clarified his
position in the New York Times ``Do I want to see a female member?'' he said. ``Yes. But
it's our right to have any club set up the way we want to.''
- Jasper Parnevik said. ``When 100 million people don't get to watch the
Masters, I wouldn't want to be that lady.''
Billy Andrade, concerning the players' sponsors :``I think everyone would have to sit down
and talk to their sponsors and figure out what's the best way to go,'' said, with an EMC
logo on his shirt. ``I don't think anyone wants to boycott the Masters.''
- O'Meara said he supports equal rights, but he bristled at the idea of
the NCWO pressuring those who play in the Masters. ``Am I some bad person because I don't
absolutely adhere to their side of the story?'' he said. ``It has to be their way or no
way. That's not the way you do business.''
- Scott Verplank was among those players who suggested Burk and the NCWO
focus on more important issues facing women. ``Why is she worried about a lady that's
worth $2 billion being a member at a golf club?'' Verplank said. ``If she's really worried
about advancing women's rights, she should be in Afghanistan helping people that are
treated like animals.''
Dr Burk is said to have been trained as a psychologist. Is Augusta the most interesting
case for the defense of women's rights in the world? Is it really?
The Constitution Journal of Atlanta asked women represented by Martha
Burk about the Augusta National membership issue and many said there are more serious
obstacles facing women.
Is the story coming back to good sense? |
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