Stakeholders at Augusta National and the LPGA have already spoken about the conflictGETTY IMAGES
The new Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship "could pose an issue for the LPGA," as it will conflict from a scheduling standpoint with the tour's first major of the year, according to Ryan Lavner of GOLFCHANNEL.com. The ANA Inspiration currently is held the week before the Masters, and it "already invites six of the top amateurs in the world." Augusta National Chair Fred Ridley yesterday announced plans for the 54-hole event that will feature a field of 72 amateurs, and he said that he has "already spoken" to LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan about the conflict. He said Whan "understands our motivations for doing this, our motivation to help grow the game." Ridley: "He also agrees wholeheartedly that, from a big picture, this is a win for women’s golf” (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 4/4). In California, Larry Bohannan wrote the powers at Augusta National "are to be congratulated for their efforts to grow the game of golf around the world." However, scheduling what is "sure to be an important women’s amateur tournament against another event that women amateurs have cherished for decades doesn’t make any sense in the larger view of the game of golf." The new event "will be a huge success," but it is "bound to hurt the ANA Inspiration" (DESERTSUN.com, 4/4).
DON'T GO HEAD TO HEAD: GOLFWEEK's Beth Ann Nichols wrote the LPGA "would be foolish to keep the ANA at its current date." Moving the major to another weekend "won't be a quick fix with so many moving parts and contracts, but a necessary one." Nichols: "The LPGA should not attempt to compete for attention against a women’s event at Augusta National. The most sensible thing to do would be to move the ANA one week ahead, still giving the women the season’s first major and serving as the perfect catalyst to Augusta’s growing showcase" (GOLFWEEK.com, 4/4).
