**AUGUSTA SPECULATION SUPREME** [Justice Sandra Day O' Connor Awarded Masters Memebership Tommorrow]

Golf Week Magazine ^ | April 2003 Issue | The Forecaddy -'Revelations and Speculations from the man out front'

[ewing]

The Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia is getting so close that the Forecaddie can pratcially smell the azaleas, but there may be more in the air than that.

Something big, big, big.

Here goes, the Forecaddy hears, from more than one source, that the Augusta National Golf Club will announce it's first female member April 9, the day before the start of this year's Masters 'tooniment.'

The Chosen One? Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

The Man Out Front has been scratching his head trying to do the math on this one. Why would Augusta National turn it's prized tournment into a big top circus the day before round one with such Richter Scale news? Since when does The National 'announce' new members to the media or the public? And would a sitting Supreme Court justice even consider jumping headlong into such a controversial matter? (Actually a Harvard Law Professor tells the Man Out Front that there would be nothing stopping her)

Then again, with or without Justice O' Connor the Masters may have already acheved Ringling Brothers Status..

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I don't have a membership, but maybe others do.

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Phil Mickelson is out practicing today...

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Gary Player tees off..(no ceremonial threesome of Arnie, Jack and Player this year)

[blau993]

I take issue with your suggestion that Golf Digest has been "PC" on the issue of women members at Augusta National. There was an excellent article a month or so ago that made a very persuasive argument in favor of members of a private club being able to engage in the right to associate in whatever way they choose, so long as they violate no law.

[newfreep]

Is that Annika with Tiger? She was scheduled to receive an award at Agusta this week and commented she would leave shortly thereafter.

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Nomination for Grace Park here...

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Actually, that is John Cook practing with Tiger today at Augusta.

It is real rainy down South..

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And they are off for the afternoon practice rounds ..

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Tiger practicing in Rae's creek at 13..

[billbears]

Well I see another organization has been forced to cave to pressure from the politically correct

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Jay Haas hitting over (the rarely seen) 5th hole bunkers..

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It will be interesting to see how the liberal media play it, will they hail it as a PC victory or claim that it is not enough?

[1Old Pro]

I thought she was ill or somewhat infirm to the point that she couldn't golf.

[1Old Pro]

Phil Mickelson is out practicing today...

He needs it. He's about to lose his title of best golfer not to win a major. Not because he will win a major, but because there will be no longer considered a great golfer.

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I think she recovered form the cancer scare..

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Shingo Katayama of Japan getting his first lesson on the greens at Augusta this year, almost putts it off the green on 3..

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lol! The only thing in Micks favor is that the rain takes all the short hitters out of the game with the new rough and length at Augusta

[billbears]

It will be interesting to see how the liberal media play it, will they hail it as a PC victory or claim that it is not enough?

Well if it's like most of the PC battles we in the South have been fighting over the past decade, it will quiet the PC armies for about three years, only to make them come back twice as ardent in the future.

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I think the initial reaction will be victory, but then more pressure afterwards on another similar silly issue.

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More Tiger and Cook on #7..