Tour will not enter Augusta membership debate
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The controversy surrounding Augusta National's no-women membership policy continues to rumble on as PGA Tour Comissioner Tim Finchem refused to condemn the Masters, despite insisting other events must have an open membership policy.
"We don't get to determining whether their policies are right or wrong because we don't have to, because we made the conclusion that regardless of those policies, we are going to continue to play and recognize them as part of the PGA Tour," Finchem told reporters ahead of Thursday's Players Championships.
"I know some people don't like that position and I appreciate that and understand their reasoning but that's the decision we've made."
Unlike the Masters, however, Finchem reiterated that the PGA Tour demanded equal opportunity membership for all other venues.
"The position of the PGA Tour hasn't changed. We have a policy that says that when we go out and do a co-sanctioned event, we are going to play it at a club that is as open to women members, open to minority members etc and we follow that policy carefully," said Finchem.
"In the case of the Masters, we have concluded a number of times now that we are not going to give up the Masters as a tournament on our tour. It's too important and so at the end of the day, the membership of that club have to determine their membership. They are not doing anything illegal." |
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