Billy Payne artfully skips questions regarding gender discrimination at Augusta National
Augusta National Chairman, Billy Payne came under scathing criticism from the media yet again when he was grilled over the controversial gender biased membership policy of the club.
Payne, who has been in command for considerable period of time, artfully skipped the questions referring to the “all-men” policy of the club, saying that the club does not discuss its membership policy publicly.
Payne spent some 30 minutes answering the questions of the media personal who were invited for the traditional press conference at the eve of Masters.
He was particularly thrown upon the question of why Virginia Rometty, the current CEO of IBM, the official sponsors of the Masters, was not extended a membership to Augusta National on the likes of the former male CEO’s of the company.
He said, “One, we don’t talk about our private deliberations, No. 2, we especially don’t talk about them when a named candidate is part of the question”.
The artful dodger consistently denied any insights of the membership policy of the club.
On one occasion he was asked of how his granddaughters would feel for not being able to get a membership of the club, let alone playing a round on the historic course.
He said, “Once again, though expressed quite artfully, I think that’s a question that deals with membership”.
Payne went over to pay tributes to the players and golf writers who passed away last year including Seve Ballesteros, Jim Huber and Furman Bisher.
He recalled a letter from Bisher and said, “I remember a very recent exchange of letters, He told me that he was proud of me. I told him he was my hero. Furman Bisher, there will never be another one”.
Payne reinforced the club’s policy of promoting the sport in the new era and announced a committee who will look into ways of doing the same.
He added, “Whether we lead occasionally or follow always, it doesn’t matter. It only matters that we try”.
Payne also went over to discuss the controversial Belly Putter and said the club will soon come up with the verdict regarding the issue.
The event is scheduled to start today, Thursday, April 5, where the top-50 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) will be at loggerheads for the coveted green jacket.
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