The Augusta National Golf Club has admitted two female members today, the first two in the club's 80 year history. The home of The Masters tournament has inducted former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Financier Darla Moore.
Augusta National has been urged to accept women into its hallowed ranks before, but had rebuffed all attempts in the past, including a plea by the National Council of Women's Organizations in 2002. The club seems to feel differently today, however, as Chairman Billy Payne called the event a "Joyous Occasion."
The new members are as distinguished as they come. Condoleezza Rice served as both national security advisor and Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, and Darla Moore was a trail blazer for women in the banking industry, and the first woman featured on the cover of Forbes Magazine.