Jesse Reed
The Golden Bear has put his stamp of approval on Augusta chairman Fred Ridley’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship announcement Wednesday morning. Jack Nicklaus, responding to the announcement from the Masters Tournament on Twitter, called it “fantastic” and “a great thing for the game of golf!”
Fantastic! This is a great thing for the game of golf! 👍🏼#Masters #AugustaNational #ChampionsRetreat https://t.co/EtLaUCIkJz
— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) April 4, 2018
Here’s the original announcement, with a lengthy statement from Ridley on Augusta’s decision to implement this new tournament.
“Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts left behind a legacy of always trying to contribute meaningfully to the game of golf.”
Chairman Fred Ridley announced today the establishment of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.https://t.co/ck1hyjr2KO pic.twitter.com/V1j0bOOHHm
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 4, 2018
“Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts left behind a legacy of always trying to contribute meaningfully to the game of golf,” Ridley said. “The Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship embodies that principle, and we believe this event will have a significant and lasting impact on the future of the women’s game. Our hope and expectation is that this event will further energize those who already love the sport and inspire others through the dream of competing at Augusta National.”
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship will take place annually, starting in 2019, a week ahead of The Masters. It will be a 54-hole tournament in which the first two rounds will be contested at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta. After a cut to the low 30 scores, the final competitive round will take place at Augusta National on Saturday, per the press release.
