Augusta Chairman, Billy Payne proudly boasted Augusta National’s plan to broaden the game of golf amoung young people.
But in a very conflicting message to those he would like to see take up the game of golf, including his own grand daughters, the all-male Georgia club seems intent on keeping its doors slammed shut to female members.
In the now annual Pre-Masters address Payne was again pressed on the issue of the club allowing female members.
Augusta National Chairman, Billy Payne.
But despite repeated questioning, including a reported drawing Payne’s grand daughter into the discussion, Payne refused to allow any discussion on the matter.
“Number one, we don’t talk about our private deliberations,” said Payne.
“Number two, we especially don’t talk about them when a named candidate is part of the question.”
The issue of women becoming members of Augusta National is again topical after IBM, and one of the Masters major sponsors, appointed Virginia Rometty as the company’s new CEO.
The computer giants last four CEOs, and each male, have been invited to be members.
And when Payne was asked by the new female reporter for the New York Times what would he say to his grand daughters that they could play golf but never become a member of Augusta National he responded: “My conversations with my grand daughters is also personal.”
