Augusta National Admits First Two Female Members

Rob Fox12 years ago

The 80 year sausagefest is over. Augusta National has extended invitations to women for the first time in its history, and both women have accepted. Who are the lucky ladies? Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore.

Augusta’s inclusion of female members marks an historic day for the club, and will likely put to rest much of the criticism it has received in the past. Many remember that back in 2002 then chairman of Augusta National, Hootie Johnson, refuted criticism and pressure for the club to admit women by saying that Augusta might one day admit female members, “but not at the point of a bayonet.” That comment was naturally met with a tidal wave of PMS induced fury from scorned women across the country.

But the days of Augusta National pissing off women are over, that is until someone makes a racist/sexist joke right when Condi Rice is standing behind him. Awkward.

Current Augusta National chairman Billy Payne said of the inclusion of Rice and Moore, “This is a joyous occasion. It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their green jackets when the club opens this fall.” Payne has been chairman of the club since 2006, when Hootie Johnson retired.

According to an anonymous source who spoke with ESPN, Moore and Rice first came under consideration for membership about five years ago. The two were likely unaware, at least for some time, as many prospective members of Augusta National aren’t often aware of their consideration.

Most would agree that in terms of accomplishment, both Rice and Moore are two very deserving candidates. Condoleezza Rice was the national security advisor and then Secretary of State under George W. Bush. She was also the first black woman to be a Stanford provost in 1993. Currently she is a professor of political economy at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, which sources tell TFM News is a “really fucking good school.”

Darla Moore, meanwhile, is an accomplished financier in South Carolina.

From ESPN:

Moore, 58, first rose to prominence in the 1980s with Chemical Bank, where she became the highest-paid woman in the banking industry. She is vice president of Rainwater Inc., a private investment company founded by her husband, Richard Rainwater. She was the first woman to be profiled on the cover of Fortune Magazine, and she made a $25 million contribution to her alma mater, South Carolina, which renamed its business school after her.

Darla Moore and former club chairman Hootie Johnson are actually friends, both being from South Carolina and the financial community of the region. According to ESPN she and Johnson worked on South Carolina’s $300 million capital campaign in the late 1990s. Moore was actually mentioned as a candidate for membership in 2002, during the height of the controversy surrounding the club’s all male membership.

So an era is over, and women are now eligible to become members of Augusta National. While many people believe the new members won’t change the club dynamic, one has to wonder if that’s really true. Surely members will now think twice before posting nudey pics of their secretaries on the locker room board. Sex Tape Tuesday? Forget it. That all may be fine, but I swear to God if cart girls start mouthing off after a friendly ass slap I am just going to lose it. Sure I’m not a member and none of these made up things affect me in the slightest, but TRADITION! Rabble rabble rabble.

• [via ESPN]

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