It’s usually a little early to start talking about Augusta National, five months before the Masters, but the famous golf course usually makes the headlines when rumors circulate about new members of the club.
The highly exclusive club does not speak publicly about its membership nor even to say how large it is, although reports suggest it’s around 300.
We know Jack Nicklaus is a member, as is Bill Gates, but who gets to play Augusta National on a regular basis and relax in that famous clubhouse after a round on Alister MacKenzie's masterpiece is still very much a mystery.
We also know that the club admitted its first two women members in 2012, describing it as “a proud moment in our club's history” when they admitted former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and financier Darla Moore. Annika Sorenstam has also since joined.
Augusta National had an all-male membership from the club's founding back in the 1930s all the way up until 2012. It is believed that the club now has at least seven female members.
According to the Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, four more big names from the sport and business world have recently become members of Augusta National Golf Club.
According to sources, former CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus and former Giants quarterback Eli Manning have been admitted.
The report also states that Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon, and Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta Air Lines, are other new members to have joined this year, whilst Manning's brother, Peyton, is already a member.
Condoleezza Rice in her Augusta National Green Jacket
McManus, who retired from CBS Sports earlier this year, is an avid golfer, but we might only know for sure whether he’s a member if he’s pictured wearing a Green Jacket at the Masters in April, a treasured item of clothing that all members receive upon joining.
Manning, who's no stranger to a PGA Tout pro-am, is also one of 16 first-year nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, so it's shaping up to be quite the 12 months for the former NFL star.
Eli Manning signing autographs during the pro-am prior to the Memorial in 2022
In September, Augusta National was ravaged by Hurricane Helene, which raised concerns as to whether the damage could be repaired in time to host the 2025 Masters.
However, fresh drone images have shown the extraordinary progress that has been made since the disaster swept through the southern State of Georgia.
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