Augusta Chairman Plays Down Prospect Of Women's Masters
Fred Ridley says that Augusta National wants to focus more on the amateur game as oppose to the professional
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Fred Ridley says that Augusta National wants to focus more on the amateur game as oppose to the professional
Augusta Chairman Plays Down Prospect Of Women's Masters
The inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur came to a conclusion last weekend, with Jennifer Kupcho and Maria Fassi giving fans a treat on the final day as World No.1 Kupcho played the final six holes in five under for victory.
The tournament was a glowing success, and even sparked us to write why we believe that there should be a Women's Masters.
Related: Should there be a Women's Masters?
Augusta National is in every golf fan's top two or three courses and there really is nothing quite like watching the world's best tackle the famous holes including Amen Corner.
Men? Women? Professionals? Amateurs? We'll watch it.
However, after some may have raised hopes of a Women's Masters coming sometime in the near future, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley dashed them this week.
Why? Because ANGC is focused more on growing the amateur game, which is evident in their work with the Drive, Chip and Putt, the Latin America Amateur Championship, Asia Pacific Amateur and the new Augusta National Women's Amateur.
“Augusta National was co-founded by the greatest amateur of all time [Bobby Jones],” Ridley said in a press conference this week.
“To date, all of our grow-the-game initiatives have been focused on amateur golf and amateur golfers.
“We elected to conduct a women’s amateur tournament for really that same reason.
"I do think that what has happened is going to translate and be a real benefit for professional golf and for the LPGA.
“The LPGA is clearly the strongest women’s sports organisation in the world.
"They now have a group of women who were spotlighted for three hours on Saturday who will be joining the LPGA Tour after the collegiate season.
"I have to think they will be well received there. Our focus throughout our history, as far as our efforts to promote the game outside of the Masters, has always been on amateur golf.”
These quotes will disappoint 2010 US Women's Open champion Paula Creamer, who said a few years ago: “They’ve only got one tournament a year. I understand that a lot goes into it, that one week and planning. The golf course is shut down.
"But I think it can handle two weeks at a time, whether it’s a week apart or back to back.”
Do you think there should be a Women's Masters? Let us know on our social media channels.
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Elliott Heath is our Senior Staff Writer and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news, features, courses and travel sections as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Elliott has interviewed some huge names in the golf world including Sergio Garcia, Thomas Bjorn, Bernd Wiesberger and Scotty Cameron as well as a number of professionals on the DP World and PGA Tours. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as four Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays at West Byfleet Golf Club in Surrey, where his handicap index floats anywhere between 2-6. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max
Hybrid: TaylorMade SIM Max
Irons: Mizuno MP5 4-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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