Gemma Dryburgh thinks a women’s pro event at Augusta National will happen someday, but not while she’s playing.
This week, she competes at the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, where Lorena Ochoa and Stacy Lewis have won before.
People often talk about having a women’s Masters at Augusta, which is as famous as the Old Course and Pebble Beach.
Dryburgh said, “I always think that we will get there eventually,” but she doesn’t believe it will be during her career. She added that having an amateur event there is a good step forward, but a professional event would be even better.
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur began in 2019 and already has notable winners like Jennifer Kupcho and Rose Zhang. England’s Lottie Woad won in 2024 after finishing strong with birdies on three of the last four holes.
Challenges Ahead:
Fred Ridley of Augusta National mentioned there are no current plans for a Women’s Masters due to several challenges. He explained that they managed to fit junior and amateur events around the Masters tournament well, but adding another tournament would be tough because the course isn’t suitable year-round. Fans might feel disappointed by this news.
Ridley also noted that the course plays best in winter and spring; it’s not open in summer and doesn’t perform well for major tournaments in fall. He recalled how Dustin Johnson did great when the 2020 Masters was delayed to November due to Covid-19.
‘Lorena was a hero of mine growing up’
Dryburgh feels proud to follow her idol Lorena Ochoa’s footsteps this week. She remembers Ochoa’s win at St Andrews in 2007 as one of her most inspirational childhood moments watching women’s golf.
“Lorena was a hero of mine growing up,” she said, recalling how much she admired Ochoa’s playstyle and attitude. Seeing Stacy Lewis win too was special for her.
Recently visiting Dunvegan, Dryburgh saw Stacy’s photo at the bar and felt it was cool seeing such moments from women’s golf history displayed prominently. She believes playing at iconic venues like St Andrews and Pebble Beach helps create new history for women’s golf.
Gemma Dryburgh claimed her first LPGA Tour title at the 2022 TOTO Japan Classic. This week marks her fifth appearance at the AIG Women’s Open.
What do you think about women possibly playing professionally at Augusta?
