Civil rights group calls for Masters to be moved from Augusta

The backlash of Georgia’s new election law has snagged MLB plans in Cobb County and the MLB Draft in Atlanta and now protestors are directing their demands at the PGA Tour and Masters Tournament to pull their upcoming event from Augusta National Golf Course and urging golfers to refuse to play in Georgia until the law is repealed.

The National Black Justice Coalition is calling for the PGA tour and Masters to to move from Augusta and out of Georgia in response to the controversial voting law.

David Johns, the Executive Director of the civil rights group, the National Black Justice Coalition (NJBC) said, “The PGA, which is a separate entity from the entity that manages Augusta National’s tournament, has previously issued statements indicating they value black lives, want to stand with community and that it’s important for them to strengthen and rebuild our democracy. This is about accountability. You’ve issued statements when it was possibly more convenient. Now, will you follow it up with action?”

Johns told Golfweek that the bill, SB 202, will “return Black and poor and already disenfranchised voters in Georgia to second class citizens” and said that he hopes action can be taken to relocate The Masters, which begins April 8 in Augusta. “The PGA Tour and Masters Tournament have both made commitments to help diversify golf and address racial inequities in this country—and we expect them to not only speak out against Georgia’s new racist voter suppression law—but to also take action,” Johns said in his statement. “Professional golf should not reward Georgia’s attacks on democracy and voting rights with the millions of dollars in revenue that the tournament generates and the prestige it brings to the State. We all must act to protect our democracy and the right to vote.”

Last week, Gov. Kemp signed SB 202 into law amid nationwide criticism. President Joe Biden called the new law “un-American” and “Jim Crow in the 21st century.”

The PGA Tour and Augusta National have yet to publicly comment on the NBJC’s demand.