September 06, 2002
Players Start Speaking Up On
Players Start Speaking Up On Augusta: If Martha Burk, head of the National Council of Women's Organizations, thought that pressuring players would be a good strategy in getting Augusta National, she might want to think again:
John Daly said Thursday at the Canadian Open that he is staunchly opposed to clubs that don't allow women. Then he was asked if he would consider standing up for his beliefs by sitting out the next Masters.
"I would not consider that,'' Daly said with no hesitation. "If I got into Augusta, I would play. It's a major. It's a tournament we dream as little kids of winning. Women protesting it shouldn't take it out on us for playing in it.''
In a letter to the National Council of Women's Organizations, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem 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 said in the Aug. 20 letter to NCWO chairwoman Martha Burk. "We have concluded that we must continue to recognize the Masters Tournament as one of professional golf's major championships.''
Burk said she was disappointed by Finchem's response, saying the tour was making a mockery of its own policy of not holding a tournament at clubs that discriminate.
Of course, there is one figure who could successfully lead a boycott. The question is, would he?
Daly said any boycott would have to be led by Woods because, "He's got so much power in the game right now.''
"If Tiger was to say, 'I'm not going to play Augusta if they don't allow women,' then I'd side with Tiger,'' Daly said. "But it would have to be all the players. And that's not going to happen.''
Hal Sutton, a member of the PGA Tour policy board, agreed that a boycott is unlikely.
"I don't think it's anything anyone has against women,'' he said. "If we had some say-so, like we ran the tournament, she might have a point. But we don't have any say-so. Who does have any say-so at Augusta?''
One thing is clear, at least two PGA Tour members got hold of the talking points the Masters produced, and are quoting them:
Former Masters champion Mark O'Meara noted that Augusta had more than 1,000 rounds played by women last year.
"If it was exclusive to men only, and no women were allowed there, it might be more of an issue,'' O'Meara said. "Women can play golf there. I don't understand what their point is.''
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.''
Give the rest of it a read. No matter how you might feel about the issue, the situation at Augusta is going to become an incredible case study in the strategies and tactics of media relations for public pressure groups. And while this story is all over the news now, I'm wondering how Burk and the NCWO are going to keep it in the public eye as we get further and further into the Fall and Winter -- especially with other sports beginning to dominate America's limited attention span. Stay tuned.
POSTSCRIPT: Once again, where are the members of the LPGA Tour on this issue?
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10:24 AM