Santorum favors female members of Augusta golf club
(CNN) – Rick Santorum went to the tee Thursday evening, weighing in on a golf controversy that earlier attracted the attention of the White House and other GOP presidential hopefuls.
The Augusta National Golf Club's tradition of admitting only male members has been highlighted by speculation around how the club will handle Virginia Rometty, the new CEO of IBM, a major Masters
Tournament sponsor. The club hosts the tournament and typically offers the iconic green jacket to the officers of the club's major sponsors.
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"I encourage Augusta to accept women members, but I recognize their right as a private organization to decide for themselves," he said in a statement e-mailed to reporters.
The club, which opened in 1933, allows women to play as guests but not as members.
President Barack Obama's "personal opinion is women should be admitted," said Jay Carney, the White House Press Secretary, earlier on Thursday. Mitt Romney said that if he ran the club, he would admit women, and Newt Gingrich said his wife, Callista, a golfer herself, would be a "great member."
– CNN Senior Correspondent Joe Johns contributed to this report.
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Something is seriously wrong...Santorum supports women becoming members of Augusta Golf Club but not womens' rights to health care.
No access to contraception for women, no access to abortion no matter the case, yet women can play golf at Augusta? A private club that takes no public money (That I know of)? Someone in the republican party better get thier priorities straight! This is how they plan to close the gender gap?