Will there ever be a Women’s Masters? Gemma Dryburgh thinks so.

Whilst her focus is firmly on winning this AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews this week, Gemma Dryburgh admits that she still harbours hopes of one day competing at another of the game’s most iconic destinations.

Augusta National.

Talk of a Women’s Masters is nothing new, of course. The prospect has been the subject of speculation and daydreams for several years.

For the longest time, that’s all it ever looked likely to amount to. However, the Georgia club’s decision to allow women to become members in 2012, followed by the successful creation of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019, has given renewed optimism and legitimate hope to what seemed like a pipe dream not that long ago.

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With that, and the fact that the women’s game is now starting to visit some of the game’s most iconic venues – the Old Course, Pebble Beach and so on – it’s time to ask the question again: will we ever see a Women’s Masters? Solheim Cup star Dryburgh is in no doubt.

“I think that we will get there eventually,” said the Scot. “I don’t think it will be when I’m still playing, that’s my prediction.

“But it would be great to have a women’s professional event there. It’s obviously a nice step in the right direction that we’ve got an amateur event there now but, yeah, I’d love to see a professional event there.”

This week marks Dryburgh’s fifth start in the AIG Women’s Open. There’s no mistaking the extent to which the event has grown under in recent years, with the prize money on offer particularly indicative.

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Last year, the field played for a total of $9million, up 23% on the 2022 bounty, and a huge increase on the $2.75million played for the last time the championship visited St Andrews in 2013.

The purse for this week will be revealed tomorrow with another increase anticipated.

According to Dryburgh, the significance of that cannot be understated.

“It’s so important,” said the 31-year-old. “It’s great to see. Every year, the majors, all seem to be going up and up and up, which is great. I think women’s golf definitely deserves that.

“Obviously, ten years or so ago, it wasn’t quite as lucrative, but I would agree that we obviously deserve even better. But yeah,  it’s a good time to be playing women’s golf.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor