Hootie
Johnson, chairman of Augusta National, met with the press Wednesday
to discuss this week's Masters Tournament. He was joined by the
chairman of the club's competition committees, Will Nicholson.
HOOTIE JOHNSON: Before
I take your questions I would like to read a statement. Over the
last 10 months everything that could possibly be said on
the subject of Augusta National and its membership, everything that
could be said, has been said. We are a -- the fact is we are a private
club. A group getting together periodically for camaraderie, just
as thousands of clubs and organizations do all over America. Just
because we host a golf tournament, because some of our members are
well known, should not cause us to be viewed differently. I have
also stated that there may well come a time when we include women
as members of our club, and that remains true. However, I want to
emphasize that we have no timetable and our membership is very comfortable
with our present status.
Now going forward,
our club will continue to make its own decisions. And we will continue
to make what hopefully is a major contribution to the game of golf
and to charity.
Now I look forward
to your questions about The Masters tournament, and golf in general.
However, as I said earlier, I will have nothing further to add about
our membership or related issues.
Q.: Mr.
Johnson with all due respect to your comment, I'm curious if you're
comfortable with this environment for your tournament; i.e., all
of the attention, all of the questions, all of the controversy that's
surrounding it. Does that make you comfortable that your tournament
is being treated in the way that you would hope it be would be treated.
Thank you.
HOOTIE JOHNSON: I
think we'll present a great tournament, Christine. And I don't think
that this issue is going to be a major issue. It's not a major issue.
We have been talking about it for 10 months and I've made my statement.
Q.: Mr.
Johnson, does the Augusta National intend to take any responsibility
for the loss revenue from local businesses as a direct result of
this controversy? Martha Burk has said, Don't blame me, blame Augusta
National.
HOOTIE JOHNSON: I
think the city of Augusta has done very well with The Masters tournament
for a long, long time. And I think they support us in the convictions
that we have. About being a private club. So I, the Augusta -- the
city of Augusta, the people of Augusta, are totally behind us.
Q.: Do you
think you'll have television sponsors next year?
HOOTIE JOHNSON: We
haven't really pursued that, but I think there's a good chance that
we will.
Q.: I've
noticed that at least four businesses up and down Washington Road
that are selling pro-Hootie merchandise and at least two businesses
that have had some sort of sign either saying pro Hootie or Martha
go home. Have you seen those? And if so, what do they do for you?
HOOTIE JOHNSON: Well,
I passed by that coming in. I believe that we have a policy that
anything like that, the shirts or hats or whether it's Hootie or
anything else, I think that we either ask the patron to cover them
up or to remove them, and check them.
Q.: If a
female member is not added between now and next year's Masters, would
you imagine that this issue will be where it is right now again next
year or will it have gone away to some extent?
HOOTIE JOHNSON: I
really can't speculate on that. I really don't know. But that doesn't
change our thinking.
Q.: What
suggestions shall we say have you all made to CBS about how their
sports team should address this issue this week? Can we expect them
to say anything about it on the air?
HOOTIE JOHNSON: Well,
I really don't know what their decision would be. We hired them to
present the golf tournament. And CBS news, I expect, would present
whatever news there is, but we haven't had any discussions or made
any demands, so to speak.
Q.: You
often cite Clifford Roberts as your inspiration for running the tournament.
Have you drawn on any conversations you've had with him when he was
alive or readings that you've done from his writings on how to handle
the situation that has come upon you in the last 10 months? And as
a follow-up, are you concerned at all that the tournament that he
wanted to be the best in the country has at all been impugned or
maligned by what's happened?
HOOTIE JOHNSON: Well,
it's been maligned. But I don't think it's been damaged. And I think
that The Masters will continue to be one of the great sporting events
of the world, next year and the year after and the year after and
the year after.
Click
here for the full transcript with Hootie Johnson.
