As far as we know, 2013 Masters winner Jason Day is not a racist. Neither is Jim Nantz, the broadcaster whose voice is synonymous with the poetic intros to the tournament’s television coverage. The approximately 35,000 fans who attend are, for the most part, probably also not racists.
“What no CBS commentator has ever alluded to, even in passing, even during a rain delay, even when there was time to do so, is Augusta’s history of racism and sexism,” said Bob Costas on the Dan Patrick Show. “Even when people were protesting just outside the grounds — forget about taking a side — never acknowledging it.”
Augusta National co-founder Clifford Roberts once said, “Golfers will be white, and caddies will be black.”
He had his way for a long time. Augusta National admitted its first African-American member in 1990 and its first female members last year. When The Masters allowed a black player in the tournament, Roberts called it reverse discrimination.
The traditionalists at Augusta latch onto their traditions so tightly because the values they deem important are not just disappearing — they are already gone. The club has been dragged into the 21st century kicking and screaming.
Their stubbornness over the years has been like that of a child, except that child is racist.
Not every member is a racist or a sexist, unless Condoleezza Rice believes in the reduction of male rights. The image of Augusta National is still very much one of hate.
The club has claimed in the past that they were trying to change but wouldn’t root out the culture that gives the club its image. Choosing to make small changes that gave the appetence they were changing.
When the club was features in a video game for the first time in 2011, they still kept a tight squeeze on the image of the club, going so far as to limit players’ attire when they play the course in the game.
Changes are sparse in Augusta. At least, changes that matter. The club is still a haven for racists and sexists who use its history as a defense of their belief system. They represent a part of America that should have died a long time ago.
Mike Hopey is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in journalism and media studies. He can be reached at hopey@mail.usf.edu.
