Many people may ask whether it is time to have a Women’s Masters. After all, there is a Women’s US Open, Women's PGA Championship and the Women’s Open.
So how about a female version of another of golf’s iconic events? Augusta National has not ruled it out, but says it has no plans to institute such an event.
Augusta National admitted its first two women members only in 2012 and there are currently at least seven female members of Augusta.
It was “a proud moment, a significant and positive time in our club's history,” then-Augusta National chairman Billy Payne said after announcing the first two females to join the club at the time.
Legendary 10-time Major winner Annika Sorenstam joined in 2023, potentially giving hope to a future Women's Masters one day.
One reason why a Women’s Masters is not currently on Augusta's agenda, however, is that the club is protective of a nascent tournament that it runs, the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
The 54-hole strokeplay event debuted in 2019. A practice round is played at Augusta National; the first two tournament rounds at Champions Retreat Golf Club. The 72-strong field is then cut to 30 for the final round, which is played at Augusta National a week before the Masters.
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur has attracted positive media coverage, not least because of the quality of the play. Inaugural winner Jennifer Kupcho played the final six holes in five under, including an eagle on 13 in 2019. For this eagle she was awarded a set of crystal goblets, just as players in The Masters are. Kupcho went on to make her Solheim Cup debut in 2021.
Then in 2021, Japan's Tsubasa Kajitani won the title in a playoff at the age of 17, showcasing her incredible potential on the world stage. Anna Davis won in 2022, Rose Zhang took the title in 2023 then England's Lottie Woad produced a stunning finish to win in 2024.
It's already become one of the women's amateur game's top events and it's surely only going to grow in prestige as the years roll on.
Part of the club’s DNA is support of amateur golf. It was after all co-founded by Bobby Jones, one of the finest amateur golfers ever. Augusta National and the Masters Tournament is heavily involved with both the Asian Amateur Championship, now known as the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and the Latin America Amateur Championship.
Those amateur events have seen the likes of Hideki Matsuyama, Guan Tianlang, Takumi Kanaya and Joaquin Niemann qualify to tee it up in the Masters.
The ANWA maintains the club’s traditional ethos while branching out to support women’s golf. Holding a Women’s Masters would raise the profile of the women’s professional game, but perhaps at the expense of the women’s amateur game.
Another part of the DNA of Augusta National is exclusivity. This runs throughout everything it does. For example, when the club opened an online shop in November 2020 it was limited to patrons only, and even then they could only buy two items. Less is more in Augusta National’s eyes.
So would they hold three high-profile tournaments a year? Unlikely. Moreover when could they hold it? The club is keen to showcase its course at it finest. This is in April when the blooms are out. It is no coincidence that the women’s event is played the week before the Masters.
The course also closes from May to October due to the oppressive heat of the Georgian summer and to give the club time to work on the course and other on-site projects.
But maybe after the success of the 2020 November Masters, it could open up another acceptable date on the Augusta National calendar? Perhaps that will be the time to have a Women’s Masters? Perhaps.
It would also have to fit into the LPGA and global women's tour schedule. There's already five women's Majors, so can there really be six?
Augusta chairman Fred Ridley was again asked about the prospect of hosting professional women prior to the 2024 Masters, describing the "fundamental difficulties" that the club would have with logistics.
"I think the answer is yes. I think we've addressed this question in the past and there are some fundamental difficulties in that," he said.
"We happily were able to find a way to have a competition for juniors and a competition for women amateurs sort of wrapped around the Masters Tournament, and it just seems to fit really well.
"To have another tournament of any kind would be very difficult based on our season, based on the fact that this is essentially a winter and spring golf course. It's not open in the summer. It doesn't play the way we want it to play in the fall for a major tournament."
Time will tell, but as things stand, a women's Masters seems unlikely for the time being.
