Tiger Re-Masters Sexist Sponsorships at Augusta

By Lynn Hecht Schafran

WeNews commentator

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Never mind that Tiger Woods is back at the Augusta National Golf Club, which excludes women. Lynn Hecht Schafran says the more troubling spectacle is sponsors' re-embrace of tax-deductible discrimination.

Editor's Note: The following is a commentary. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily the views of Women's eNews.

Lynn Hecht Schafran (WOMENSENEWS)-- As Tiger Woods returns to the golf spotlight at the Masters Tournament at the men-only Augusta National Golf Club this week, the irony of a man publicly humiliated for using women like Kleenex staging his comeback at a club where women can't even be second-class citizens is glaring.

A great anonymous post to the Boston Golf Examiner read, "(How perfect that a) man who doesn't respect women has opted to restart his golf career at a golf course that does not respect women."

It could also be considered lamentable that Woods did not use this moment of supreme leverage -- the Masters would be nothing without him -- to end the discrimination. That's what Billie Jean King did when she won the U.S. Open in l972 and her prize purse was $15,000 less her male counterpart's. King said she would not be back in '73 if the prize money was not equalized, the promoters knew they needed her, and in l973 the purses for men and women were identical.

But Woods lives so totally in his own bubble that asking him to think of doing something for someone else is laughable. He had the chance to take a stance on Augusta when the National Council of Women's Organizations started pressing the question at the 2002 Masters. He passed.

Corporate Qualms Go Missing

The question that does have to be asked is why, in 2010, corporate America has no qualms about participating big-time in a four-day frenzy of media coverage and corporate partying emanating from a club that still excludes women.

Augusta gave up on race discrimination in l990 when Alabama's Shoals Creek golf club was unable to host a PGA tournament because of that organization's rule that clubs hosting PGA events may not be racially segregated.

Even though the Masters is exempt from the rule because it is classified as a non-PGA Tour co-sponsored event, Augusta saw the handwriting on the wall, didn't want protesters from the Rainbow Coalition at its gates, and admitted a man who wasn't white -- without the usual long waiting time.

In 2002, when Martha Burk, president of the National Council of Women's Organizations, began urging Augusta to end its sex discrimination, she met with derision from the club, but for the following two years corporations withdrew their sponsorship and the Masters was broadcast without commercials.

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2 COMMENTS | Login or Sign Up to post comments

While I certainly agree that Tiger Woods' past treatment and attitude towards women are abhorable and reflective of a much broader problem in todays society, I truly think that there should not be so much energy spent on lobbying against Augusta's policies. Augusta is a private club, and they are certainly entitled to have a "men's only" club, just as there are local, regional, and national organizations that exclude men. The PGA is a "men's only" sport, although they have allowed competitive women to play at certain events. As a feminist, I feel we (feminist in general) lose respect by insisting upon illogical platforms such as this... There is nothing inherently wrong about a private club hosting a national sporting event, and for the national sport organization (PGA and USGA) to follow the club's rules. I'm sure the feminists with tunnel vision cannnot see things this way, but hopefully that is a minority of us.

Submitted by Janet (1 year ago)

This is the first article to recognize the true nature of Woods' choice, and the true meaning behind his 'confessions'. Most men will not help women with this sever problem. Women need to again call Augusta on its discrimination against women. I hope the women in his life are so legally successful in suing him, that he understands deeply, how he has shown no respect for women and children in his life.
I'm very proud of women such as Ms. Schafran, who see this, and who speak for women when these successful men gain at least some of their success by walking all over unsuspecting women.
Golf at Augusta, women?

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