Leading By Example At The Masters

Here’s a question about leadership for you to consider: Is it truly best to lead by issuance of a policy or directive, or instead to lead by example? In other words: “Do as I say, or do as I do”?

The true issue I’m putting forth is this: What would be the public reaction if say some of the PGA Tour’s top stars (beginning with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and then perhaps 2012 Masters winner Bubba Watson, and Jim Furyk, Fred Couples, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els, Tom Watson and others) were to announce they will no longer compete in the Masters Tournament until the Augusta National Golf Club modifies its policy to admit women as members?

Think about it - especially on the heels of a number of recent high-profile issues concerning gender and race equality. If a person knew some thing or some policy to be wrong, would they stand up for their belief that change be made to ensure fairness and equality is achieved? In many cases, probably not. What if the issue was of high significance in the court of public opinion?

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem recently said, according to published reports, that the Masters Tournament held each April at Augusta National is too important a golf event to remove from the PGA Tour schedule because the host club’s policy has never in its 80-year history permitted women to become club members. Maybe 80, 40, 20 years ago this policy was acceptable to most and I predict now that if one were to poll the American public – a majority would today say this golf club policy is discriminatory toward women and ought to be changed.

What do you think?

I guess that same thinking within the PGA about the importance of a golf tournament in the face of discriminatory policies at Augusta National also applied prior to 1990 when African-Americans were banned from becoming members there. That’s right and club officials have long defended their previous and current policies by citing the fact  Augusta National is a private organization.

So I ask, what if Augusta National also had a policy that banned gay persons from becoming members? What if Latinos and Asians also were each banned from membership? What about a gay Latino or gay Asian woman?

Here is what I imagine many people might say to Finchem and the PGA:  “Hey stupid, it’s a golf tournament. A sporting event among millionaires is too important to “your schedule” that you instead would condone the continuance of a sexist and discriminatory policy?

And what perhaps is so ironic in all of this is that Finchem’s remarks were made during a May 9 news conference to announce a new corporate partner of the PGA’s First Tee program – a program that is designed to invite children of diverse cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds to become introduced to golf – children, some of whom would not be allowed membership at Augusta National today and perhaps for many tomorrows. Let’s not forget too, that their mothers, grandmothers and aunts also are today prohibited by policy from attaining membership at the very club that hosts this grand golfing competition known as the Masters.

What is the correct position for the PGA Tour and its competing golfers to take with regard to future Masters Tournaments and the policies of its host golf club? What do the wives, girlfriends and mothers of these pro golfers think about the irony? How about the advertisers associated with the PGA Tour? And you the public – how do you think the PGA Tour members should display its leadership on this issue – deny any responsibility or stand up to do what’s right and lead by example? You decide.

My prediction is that Augusta National Golf Club soon will seize upon the wonderful opportunity to enrich its leadership role in the golfing community as it has done so previously and will modify its policy to allow and welcome women to become club members – before the first ball is struck from the first tee of the 2014 Masters Tournament – the club’s 80^th anniversary Masters tourney.

JW