Augusta National doesn’t talk much about its members in public, but we do know that at least seven women are members of the Augusta National Golf Club.
Augusta National is a private club that likes to keep things very secret. Augusta National is, in fact, a private business. The chairman is the only person who can speak openly for the club about club business. It is a secret who is on the membership list and how many people are on it. We do know some things, though. For starters, no one can apply to become a member. You have to be invited to join.
From the beginning until 2012, Augusta National only had male players. In 2012, though, it said it had added its first two women members, calling it “a proud moment in our club’s history.” Condoleezza Rice, who used to be Secretary of State, and Darla Moore, an investor, were the new members.
Fred Ridley, the chairman, talked about the membership again in public last month: “We have a number of women members and we have for quite a few years.” They are an important part of our tradition and I think it made us a better club.
This was about the news that Annika Sorenstam is now a member of Augusta National. The ten-time Major winner is the first professional woman player to join. Professional players who are men had already been accepted into the club. It’s not just Masters Champions who have worn the Green Jacket. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus all the time.
Augusta National works with IBM to make the data for the Masters Tournament, and the CEO of IBM is often invited to join. In 2012, Virginia “Ginni” Rometty, a 35-handicapper, became the first woman to lead IBM as CEO. In 2014, she was asked to join the club.
Every year, Augusta also sends an offer to the president of the United States Golf Association. In 2018, Diana Murphy joined the club after two years as President of the USGA. As the head of Augusta National, Fred Ridley was president of the USGA in the past.
Another member is Ana Botin, who is the executive chairman of Banco Santander and was named by Forbes in 2019 as the eighth most powerful woman in the world. Ginni Rometty came in at number nine on this ranking. Seve Ballesteros, who has won the Masters twice, is her brother-in-law and an eight.
About 300 people are thought to be members, and Heidi Ueberroth is the seventh woman we know of who is a member of Augusta National. In addition to Clint Eastwood and Arnold Palmer, her father Peter was part of a group that bought the Pebble Beach Company, which owned Pebble Beach Golf Links. For decades, she has worked in sports marketing. Since 2020, she has been co-chairman of Pebble Beach Co. and has been its head.
