Augusta's gender policy to be challenged?
THE APPOINTMENT of a new chief executive at IBM has revived the debate over Augusta National's all-male membership just 1 week before the Masters.
THE APPOINTMENT of a new chief executive at IBM has revived the debate over Augusta National's all-male membership just 1 week before the Masters.
IBM hired Virginia Rometty as its CEO this year, which could mean a break in recent tradition for either side. The last four CEOs of IBM have been members of Augusta, but the club has never had a female member since it was founded in 1933.
Martha Burk led an unsuccessful campaign 10 years ago for Augusta to admit a female member. Hootie Johnson, chairman at the time, said the club would not be pressured "at the point of a bayonet."
Burk says Augusta National and IBM now are in a bind. She says IBM could end up undermining its new CEO if it doesn't fight for her admittance.
In golf tournaments:
* Amy Yang shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Lindsey Wright in the opening round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Top-ranked Yani Tseng was third at 68, ending the Taiwanese star's streak of eight consecutive rounds with the lead.
* Angel Cabrera and Carl Pettersson shot 7-under 65 in calm morning conditions to top the Houston Open leaderboard before first-round play was suspended because of a thunderstorm. Only 51 players completed play before the horn sounded at 1:27 p.m.
Philly File *
Boys' Latin Charter's Maurice Watson and Prep Charter's Kahleah Copper were named the Public League's top male/female senior basketball players by The Phoenix Club, created by local CPA Michael G. Horsey. They'll be honored in a June banquet at the Union League.
Sport Stops *
The University of Montana fired football coach Robin Pflugrad and athletic director Jim O'Day, adding more uncertainty to a program already dealing with sexual-assault allegations against two players. Pflugrad was the Big Sky Conference football coach of the year in 2011 after he guided the Grizzlies to a co-conference championship in his second year as coach.
* Maria Sharapova won a disputed final point after an overrule by the umpire and edged Caroline Wozniacki, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.
* Michael Phelps won the 100 butterfly at the Indianapolis Grand Prix after finishing second in the 100 freestyle. Ryan Lochte, Phelps' biggest rival, failed to qualify for the final heat for both of his events - the 100 free and the 100 fly. And despite splitting his trunks at the start of the 100 free, Nathan Adrian still held off the hard-charging Phelps. Adrian finished in 48.62 seconds. Phelps was next at 48.74. Dana Vollmer dominated the women's events, winning both the 100 free and 100 fly.
* Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, of Canada, won the world figure skating title in Nice, France.
* Tommy Ford won the slalom title at the U.S. skiing championships in Winter Park, Colo.
* Preakness winner Shackleford will be retired at the end of the year and stand at stud at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Ky. The farm said the 4-year-old is in training for the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on April 7. Shackleford was the leading 3-year-old money earner.