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Women will finally get their moment at Augusta National

By Derek Helling

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 05: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland Jon Rahm of Spain and Adam Scott of Australia walk up the tenth hole plays an approach shot on the tenth hole during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 5, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 05: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland Jon Rahm of Spain and Adam Scott of Australia walk up the tenth hole plays an approach shot on the tenth hole during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 5, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) /
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Gender equality in the game of golf sank an enormous putt on Thursday with an announcement from Augusta National.

With the 2018 Masters in full swing at Augusta National, it was the perfect time for one of professional golf’s most hallowed grounds worldwide to make a momentous announcement which will change the landscape of the sport forever.

According to Bill Pennington of the New York Times, Augusta National will host a women’s tournament on its course a week before the 2019 Masters. It will be the first time that a women’s event has been played on the course.

Golf fans should note that the tournament will not be an addition to the LPGA schedule but will instead be an amateur event. The tournament will be called the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, and it will be a 54-hole event featuring 72 invitees. Despite this being an amateur event, the significance of this news can’t be overstated.

Women weren’t even allowed to be members at Augusta National until 2012, and even up until the announcement made on Thursday, it seemed unfathomable that a tournament featuring nothing but women would ever be played on the course which has hosted the Masters since 1934. There’s certainly an altruistic element to this development, but there’s a vision of a potential payoff as well.

The media and spectator attention that this event is likely to draw, especially coming so close to the 2019 Masters, could mean new revenue for Augusta National. A new tournament means a lot of new sponsorships, tickets and media rights to sell.

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There is some commercial appeal to this event for Augusta National but that should only enhance the appeal of this event, not detract from it. It’s a huge step toward not only equality in golf but the proliferation of women’s golf as a profitable business as well.