| AP Sports Headlines |
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
By Glenn Sheeley
Cox News Service
GULLANE, Scotland – Tiger Woods on Tuesday made his first public comments about the brouhaha over Augusta National's membership issues. The approach he took was as delicate as some of his iron shots.
Typically, Woods tried to deflect the issue: Augusta National Golf Club's vow last week that it will not be pressured into allowing female members.
"It's one of those things where they're entitled to set up their own rules the way they want them," said Woods, a three-time Masters champion. "It would be nice to see everyone have an equal chance to participate if they wanted to, but there's nothing you can do about it. If you have a group or an organization, if that's the way they want to set it up, it's their prerogative to set it up that way."
Woods said he would feel similarly if the exclusion involved other groups such as African-Americans or Asians.
"It's unfortunate that it's that way, but it's just the way it is," Woods said. "There are clubs that have segregated, whether it's sex or race. ... Those are issues and things that have happened and will continue to occur, and they will continue to exist for a long period of time."
Muirfield, site of this week's British Open, is also an all-men's club. Like Augusta National, women can play there as guests of members.
Glenn Sheeley writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Email: gsheeley@ajc.com
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