The Women's Masters?

[WEDWDW]

With the Women's US Open at Pebble Beach being called the biggest event in Women's golf history, what are the chances of this momentum someday leading to a Women's Masters at Augusta?

 

[_19disnA]

I think many of the major tournaments (both men & women) like to think of themselves as the biggest/best/most well-known as mostly a PR thing. All of the major tournaments are significant for any number of reasons and trying to pick the BEST one is very subjective. Augusta National already holds a women's amateur tournament in an effort to promote women's golf. If they were to start holding a women's professional event, seems it would detract from what they are trying to accomplish with that amateur event. IF they were to ever hold an event for women pro golfers I am sure they wouldn't call it the "Masters" and would go by some other name.

 

[EACarlson]

IF they were to ever hold an event for women pro golfers I am sure they wouldn't call it the "Masters" and would go by some other name.

Mistresses?

 

[disneyseniors]

My husband and I started watching the PGA womens golf tournament yesterday, and to our surprise, we liked it much more than the men's PGA! I really don't know why, but we intend to keep watching the womens golf tournaments, too. I do think that they will make the big time and have a Masters of their own one day. I hope!

 

[bcla]

I think many of the major tournaments (both men & women) like to think of themselves as the biggest/best/most well-known as mostly a PR thing. All of the major tournaments are significant for any number of reasons and trying to pick the BEST one is very subjective. Augusta National already holds a women's amateur tournament in an effort to promote women's golf. If they were to start holding a women's professional event, seems it would detract from what they are trying to accomplish with that amateur event. IF they were to ever hold an event for women pro golfers I am sure they wouldn't call it the "Masters" and would go by some other name.

I don't think of The Masters as a professional tournament per se. It's more an invitational. They have a minimum of 6 invitations for amateurs, and theoretically the winners (or top finishers) of other tournaments with invitations could be amateurs.

https://www.augusta.com/masters/qualifications

Tiger Woods was doing really well at the Masters with an invitation as the US Amateur champion.

As for a women's Masters, I don't see it happening. There's only a limited amount of time (due to weather) where it's practical to have a tournament there, and the members want to be able to play there too when it's only open for half the year. Possibly a one-off event.

 

[Marrila]

I don't think of The Masters as a professional tournament per se. It's more an invitational. They have a minimum of 6 invitations for amateurs, and theoretically the winners (or top finishers) of other tournaments with invitations could be amateurs.

https://www.augusta.com/masters/qualifications

Tiger Woods was doing really well at the Masters with an invitation as the US Amateur champion.

As for a women's Masters, I don't see it happening. There's only a limited amount of time (due to weather) where it's practical to have a tournament there, and the members want to be able to play there too when it's only open for half the year. Possibly a one-off event.

The Masters is one of the four majors.

 

[bcla]

The Masters is one of the four majors.

I get that. But only one of them is considered a professional tournament.

 

[_19disnA]

Not sure I follow your defintion of what makes something a 'professional' tournament. The Masters provides invites to the winner and runner-up from the most recent US Amateur, for example. There are a number of ways pros (or amateurs) can qualify for the Masters. Various other pro tournaments provide 'sponsor's exemptions' of one sort or another. Some of those might also be given to amateur golfers. The Masters is one of the four annual men's major championships.

 

[AaronB]

With woman's golf already having 5 majors, I don't see them adding another. If one of those majors went away, then maybe, but honestly, I sort of hope they do not play there. The ANWA is a good tournament, so they can leave that as is, but personally, Augusta as a venue is so restrictive, and is my least favorite of the 4 men's majors.

So, much has been made about growing the game of golf recently, and these ultra-exclusive golf clubs do anything but that. Even the most recent men's US Open at LACC, I did not like as much. With the Women's US Open at Pebble Beach, it is such an amazing course and one at least I have the opportunity to play. Sure it is expensive, but as a bucket list course it is at least a public links. This is also why I like the Mens/Womans Open Championship the most of all the majors. So many of the course in that rotation are courses the public can play (St. Andrews, Royal Liverpool, etc.). I also hope more public courses work themselves into the US Open and PGA Championship schedules. I just find these majors more interesting when they come to the courses like Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Bethpage, etc.

 

[bcla]

Not sure I follow your defintion of what makes something a 'professional' tournament.

Mostly that it would be sponsored by a professional golfing organization. The PGA Championship by construction doesn't specifically invite amateurs like the other majors.

 

[_19disnA]

The USGA hosts both the men's & women's US Open tournaments. They also run a number of amateur events. Not sure if you consider the USGA a 'professional golf organization' or not. The PGA tournament is run by the PGA of America. The Master's tournament is run by the Augusta National Club. All of the other domestic pro men's tournaments are run by the PGA tour. Whether or not amateurs might be included in a tournament's invite list has nothing to do with it being considered a 'professional' event.

The criteria for the PGA Championship doesn't specifically exclude amateurs and they might qualify in one of several ways...............

https://www.pga.com/story/how-players-can-qualify-for-the-pga-championship