
The USGA announced on Wednesday that the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open will be held at CordeValle in San Martin, California. It will be the first time the championship is returning to California since 1982 and the first time ever in the northern California area.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will serve as honorary chair of the tournament.
Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne held court on Wednesday morning in his annual “State of the Masters” press conference. The event lacked the fireworks, awkward drama and antagonistic atmosphere that was prevalent last year when the media confronted Payne on the club’s hypocrisy — he preached about growing junior golf, while Augusta National passively discriminated against 51% of the population in the U.S.
Well, now, the club has two women members in Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore.
For the first time in the history of the Masters tournament, there are women donning green jackets. Last August, Augusta National chairman Billy Payne announced that the prestigious club had invited former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and business executive Darla Moore as its first female members, breaking the dated tradition of the longtime all men’s club.
This week Rice and Moore will sport their spiffy green coats at the Masters. Rice was on the grounds on Sunday (as seen above) and she even got in a round with Phil Mickelson, who couldn’t stop raving about her putting skills, according to The Augusta Chronicle.
Of course that’s a reference to Bill Murray’s facial hair. The Pebble Beach National Pro-Am regular is making a scene, per usual. He’s partnered up with D.A. Points, who won the event in 2011 — the pair were also victorious in the pro-am portion of the tournament.
Murray and Points played at Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course on Thursday, and posted a team effort of five-under 65, putting them in a tie for 51st after the opening round.
Here’s a closer shot of Murray’s beard:
We saw some entertaining antics that veer from golf’s usual decorum at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last week. Well, the “fun” continues at Pebble Beach, where the rich and the famous play with the pros for the “pro-am” portion of the event.
It’s probably just me, but it seems like there are more bold-faced names than usual on this year’s list, which can be found here — though I have an updated version below, with additional entries, like Jim Harbaugh (the brother who was on the losing side of the Har-Bowl Super Bowl) and Condoleezza Rice. Also, I’ve noted their pro partner in parenthesis.
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