Augusta National chairman Billy Payne was more than happy to talk about a number of topics during Wednesday's Masters week press conference. Rory McIlroy, the long putter debate, course conditions, Ernie Els, growing the game of golf -- they were all open for discussion. But the second the questions turned to the possibility of the club extending a membership to IBM CEO Virginia Rometty, Payne locked up. "Well, as has been the case, whenever that question is asked, all issues of Membership are now and have been historically subject to the private deliberations of the Members," Payne said, "and that statement remains accurate and remains my statement." It wouldn't be the only time the chairman was asked about the club's all-male membership policy. More than a third of the questions posed during the press conference pertained to gender issues. But every time a media member tried to phrase the question differently, even going so far as to ask Payne if allowing a female to join the club "would send a wonderful message to young girls around the world if they knew that one day they could join this very famous golf club," they were stonewalled.
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