AROUND THE GREENS
Battle at Augusta adds spice to 2003 forecast

By Bill Kwon

Martha Burk, below, and the National Council of Women's Organization have drawn the lines for Augusta National and its chairman, Hootie Johnson, above. Burk has called for Augusta National to admit women as members, while Johnson has said the private club will not be pushed into doing so. Associated Press photos

BURK

Not since the flap over Casey Martin and his right to ride a golf cart has there been more controversy in the world of golf than the debate over the Masters because of host Augusta National Golf Club's refusal to admit women as members.

The battle lines have been drawn with Hootie Johnson and his Blowhards on one side facing Martha Burk and her feminists from the National Council of Women's Organization on the other. Even Jesse Jackson has threatened to butt in, but then, doesn't he always?

Look for the Battle of Picket Chargers at this latest march through Georgia where poor Tiger Woods, wounded knee and all, will be trying to win his third straight Masters.

It doesn't help that the sanctimonious New York Times, like Jackson, has butted in as well, editorializing that Woods should boycott the 2003 Masters if the women's issue isn't resolved before April, which, of course, it won't be.

When Dave Anderson, the Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist, wrote that Woods shouldn't be expected to boycott the tournament — and why should he be singled out if another golfing icon, Jack Nicklaus, who's actually a member at Augusta National, isn't asked to? — his column was killed.

The Times later backed down and published Anderson's slightly revised piece and a column by Harvey Araton, which also had been spiked.

Araton argued that there were more pressing women's issues in sports to worry about, such as the elimination of softball in the Olympics than membership in a private club. The late, great columnist Red Smith must be turning in his grave.

Tiger, of course, has become tired of the whole issue since it broke in November when Burk started firing her guns at Augusta. He couldn't escape it even when he arrived here to play at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf on Kaua'i.

When you think about it, other than the Times, the only guy who would probably wish Tiger would boycott the Masters is Phil Mickelson. Then maybe he can finally win a major.

If there is any boycotting to be done, it should be by Woods. He should stop reading the New York Times for its rather hypocritical editorial stance. I mean, if the New York Times feels so strongly that Tiger should boycott the Masters, it should boycott the tournament as well by not sending its reporters and photographers.

Think the Times will? Of course not. It's a matter of all the news that's fit to print, and the Masters Tournament is big news indeed. That Tiger can become the first to win it three straight years makes it even bigger news.

Sorry Martha. But in this issue, it's not, you go, girl. But you go, Tiger.

Locally, there will be challenges galore for golf in 2003, but fortunately none that will create such a national fuss as the Masters.

The biggest challenge will be trying to restore an LPGA Tour event or two on the 2004 calendar. Other than an unofficial Skins Game later this month at Wailea, Hawai'i, will be without an LPGA event for the first time since 1982 when Ka'anapali hosted the Women's Kemper Open.

There were back-to-back LPGA events for six straight years from 1987 and again from 2000 to last year with the addition of the Takefuji Classic on the Big Island. But the 2003 calendar is blank.

"It's difficult for the girls financially if there's only one tournament. It's so expensive," said Cindy Rarick, a former University of Hawai'i golfer who won her first tour event at Kuilima in 1987. "I know people are trying to work something out for 2004. The LPGA would love to return if we can find sponsors."

Another challenge is keeping the golf tournaments here, according to Mark Rolfing, NBC-TV golf analyst and former member of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority.

"In 1987, we had 11 televised golf events. Now we have six. We need more, but we need to protect what we have," said Rolfing, pointing out that the six televised events, including the Mercedes Championships and Sony Open in Hawai'i, provide 44 hours of coverage, reaching more than 13 million viewers. Only three states — California, Florida and Texas — have more PGA events than Hawai'i.

It all adds up to a huge economic impact in Hawai'i where golf is a $1 billion industry, Rolfing said.

Here are some of the other golf stories I would like to see in 2003:

• Michelle Wie breaking more new ground in golf, qualifying in an LPGA event and, who knows, maybe even for the Sony Open to become the first female to play in a PGA Tour event.
• Dean Wilson keeping his PGA playing card, starting right away with a victory in the Sony Open.
• UH-Hilo, which is already working hard at it, establishing a golf management school so that UH-Manoa can follow suit.
• Tiger Woods winning the PGA Grand Slam of Golf for the sixth year in a row and announcing at the time that he'll play in the 2004 Sony Open.
• The Royal Kunia Golf Course finally opening in April after being built nine years ago.

Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.