Masters 2024: Augusta National chairman: ‘Fundamental difficulties’ in staging a women’s pro event

AUGUSTA, Ga. – With the success of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the torrid run this season by Nelly Korda and the recent spike in interest in women’s sports, the question was again posed to Masters chairman Fred Ridley on Wednesday:

Would the club consider hosting a professional women’s tournament at Augusta National?

The answer: It’s complicated.

“There are some fundamental difficulties in that,” Ridley said.

For starters, Ridley said, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Drive, Chip and Putt Championship “fit really well” into the flow of Masters week, with the amateur and junior competitions being staged, respectively, the Saturday and Sunday prior to the start of the first major of the year.

Adding another event into the rotation would be challenging based on the club’s short season. Augusta National closes for the summer the third week of May, and Ridley said the course doesn’t play as intended in the fall.

“We did one time, and Dustin Johnson did very well,” he said with a wry smile, a nod to Johnson’s tournament-record winning total of 20 under par.

“So we really have a limited period of time we could play an additional event.”

But there are other considerations beyond just the scheduling aspect.

“We need to make sure that we really respect the mystique and magic of the Masters,” Ridley said. “We would have to think long and hard to have another golf tournament.”